'Are you watching Merseyside?' enquired the cocksure collective from Manchester, from the banks of the Thames. To be honest, every time ­Manchester United appear on the television, anyone of a Liverpool persuasion would be advised to look away.

This team is not for turning. This squad is not for weakening. United may not get the luck in every competition this season, but they have just about everything else going for them. They cruised into the FA Cup semi-finals in immaculate fashion and looked so full of smart running and sweet passing that they could have managed another 90 minutes at full pelt straight after this one. No sweat.

Try as Fulham might, they were innocent bystanders as United ­executed another controlled knockout. A 0-4 scoreline flattered Roy Hodgson's team, whose normally sound back-line was sliced to ribbons.

As the most decorated team in FA Cup history with their booty of 11 wins, United might have been forgiven for a gentle approach given the week ahead contains a snare-drum tight Champions League challenge against Jose ­Mourinho's Internazionale before ­Liverpool pop in for a Premier League visit on Saturday morning.

How could this FA Cup quarter-final be more than an aperitif?

But the mood United are in, the hunger they bring to every match means this was not one to be sipped at genteelly. Cristiano Ronaldo's arrogance was the subject for debate last week, but it is not unreasonable to consider the air of superiority in the entire team.

In the seconds before kick-off 11 ­athletes in red looked as if the notion of a slip-up was simply beneath reasonable contemplation. They looked like greyhounds chasing a rabbit. Eyes on the prize. Nothing else exists.

The team might have been slightly rotated, with Ronaldo left back in ­Manchester and Dimitar Berbatov left on the bench, alongside Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, but the selection was still fearsomely strong. Carlos Tevez seized his opportunity and played like a demon.

Sir Alex Ferguson spoke with enthusiasm about the "great energy and enjoyment" his team possessed. His main problem these days, he admitted, is picking a team out of the multitude of quality performers at his disposal.

"Leaving out great players is not easy for me," he mused. "They are all fit ­players who are bursting to play. I only hope at the end of the season they ­recognise everyone has made a great contribution."

This cup tie tilted inexorably towards United in a first half which ­exhibited United's blend of power play and ­gossamer touch. The front line of Wayne Rooney and Tevez – who gave Mark Schwarzer his first examination in the second minute – were a pair of terrors.

Although Fulham began energetically and competitively, with Andy Johnson's a trickling shot chased away by Nemanja Vidic and Clint Dempsey's header ­gathered by Edwin van der Sar, United stifled their enthusiasm with a corner routine in the 20th minute. Michael Carrick's delivery, nodded on by Rooney, was snapped up by Tevez. Hodgson was not impressed. "To let the smallest player on the pitch head in at the far post was disappointing," he lamented.

In search of a greater margin before half-time, Rooney began to sizzle. He chipped a Beckhamesque effort from the centre circle, had one chalked off for offside, dragged another just wide after reading Tevez's sublime pass and then struck a post. So intense was his focus, he did not even look particularly frustrated or bothered not to have scored. Full steam ahead.

United were a goal in front but light years ahead. Besides, it took only another moment for the next goal to come. And what a goal. Tevez sent a 25-yard rocket past Schwarzer and into the top corner of his goal.

There were four Fulham defenders in attendance. All looked powerless. One of them, Dickson Etuhu, simply fell over. "Tevez was a jack-in-the-box all day,' Ferguson said, beaming.

Fulham rallied and created a couple of half chances just before the interval through Johnson and Bobby Zamora. But perhaps the most irritating miss for Fulham was that of the referee Mike Dean, who failed to spot a penalty when John O'Shea grabbed a handful of Zamora's shirt.

The second half had barely began when Rooney strangled any idea Fulham had of a revival, steering beautifully past Schwarzer from the edge of the box.

It was more defensive disappointment for Hodgson in that his team handed this one to their opponents by presenting them with the ball. And they did it again 10 minutes from time, when the industrious Park Ji-sung accelerated on to another slack pass to curl in a deserved goal.

With the result clearly comfortable, Ferguson was able to preserve some of Rooney's effervescence. Three young players took a bow in the second half. It cannot be bad learning your trade in this team.

The only downside for United was that Rio Ferdinand took a knock that forced him off at half-time, and ensured he left London with a plastic boot ­encasing his right foot.

"It is a bit of a concern," said Ferguson. "He went over on his ankle. I just hope he can make it for Wednesday because he is such an important player."

One thing you can be sure of, though, is the second he feels right he will be desperate to get back playing in this joyful symphony orchestra as quickly as humanly possible.

As for Fulham, you can only ­imagine their excitement to welcome Sir Alex and his merry men back to Craven Cottage in the league at the end of the month.