United won after goals by Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov after being one goal down.
“It wasn’t a great performance,” said Ferguson. “We got off to a terrible start, and Newcastle were pumped up for it.
“We expected that and we should have dealt with it better.
“But coming from 1-0 down was a good result for us. It required a lot of grit.
“Our football has been better, and we were maybe careless with passing of the ball.
“Newcastle knew it was a massive game for them and went about their job in the right way.
“We could have been 2-0 down actually. (Obafemi) Martins hit one by the post, and it was a hairy spell for us.”
United are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
He added: “The teams who play first and get a result will always say ‘Pressure on’.
“But it doesn’t make much difference to us. You have to rely on and trust the players. You have to show patience and experience.
“It is nothing new to them.”
