Few would begrudge United their success but their Championship opponents would have taken the tie to extra-time had it not been for Peter Ramage’s rash tackle on England Under-19 striker Daniel Welbeck.
Tevez was not about to pass up the opportunity and confidently beat an otherwise faultless Radek Cerny to steer United through.
With 10,000 empty seats, an unfamiliar side and teeming rain beginning to fall at kick-off, it was hard to escape the feeling a match was taking place United would have preferred did not exist.
Yet for some, it was a hugely important contest.
Darron Gibson cannot have too many more opportunities to impress, Rafael and Rodrigo Possebon needed to build on impressive starts to United careers, Gary Neville had to prove his dismal display at Arsenal on Saturday did not deserve obituaries being penned on his career, and for Tevez, it was an opportunity to prove he is capable of splitting Dimitar Berbatov’s strike partnership with Wayne Rooney.
As every game goes by which Tevez does not start, more speculation surfaces over the likelihood of the South American completing a permanent £32m transfer once his two-year loan concludes at the end of the season.
Tevez’s scurrying style at least ensured he was one man who looked as though he cared.
Damning
After collecting John O’Shea’s square pass, he advanced towards the QPR penalty area before taking aim with a shot that dipped just in front of Cerny but the visiting keeper managed to stop anyway.
O’Shea could also claim the assist when he found himself alone on the by-line and delivered a low cross to Tevez which the striker just failed to turn into the net from close range.
As the second of those opportunities arrived in first-half stoppage time, it was a damning verdict on United’s performance.
Only Anderson matched Tevez’s industry as too many passes went astray and those brave enough to support their teams on a foul night were seeking refuge long before the interval whistle blew.
It is now 12 years since Rangers ventured north for a league game and 1992 that they enjoyed their most famous Old Trafford experience, netting four times on a New Year’s Day hat-trick hero Dennis Bailey will never forget.
Not that QPR looked like emulating that feat. A bit like Manchester City, they have lots of money at their disposal but do not appear to know what to do with it.
Temporary boss Gareth Ainsworth was forced into two changes before the second-half started but there was little else to capture his attention as his side created little.
Although it appeared Ferguson had sent his team back out with a renewed sense of purpose judging by the blistering shot Nani sent fizzing wide just after the restart, a familiar pattern soon emerged.
After planting a corner and a 20-yard shot into Cerny’s arms, Anderson then let fly with a free-kick that went so far wide it ended up going over the touchline roughly level with the edge of the area.
Nani was about as far away with another shot midway through the half that almost ended up in the second tier of the Stretford End.
Anderson and Tevez did threaten the QPR goal but Cerny did not have to perform heroics to keep United out as a sharp-eyed cameraman captured a rat racing across Old Trafford.
It was hardly Autumnwatch but at least Bill Oddie would have had something to talk about, unlike the spectators, at least until the 14 minutes from time when United finally broke the deadlock.
Ramage did not need to slide in as Welbeck’s first touch would have taken the ball through to Cerny. But the defender’s rash challenge left the England Under-19 forward in a heap and Tevez did the rest.
In what amounted to a frenzy of late chances, Samuel Di Camini had an equaliser correctly ruled out for offside, while Nani and Park Ji-sung produced fine saves from Cerny as United claimed their place in the last eight.
What did you think of United's performance? Have your say
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I'll bet Tevez felt really wanted playing in this "team"? Must have felt really special with Park as his strike partner, pissing down with rain etc., etc., probably called his agent right after the game looking for a club in Italy or Spain!
62,000 fans is still the biggest gate anywhere in Britain.
That's SIXTY-TWO thousand fans!
They cared enough that this match existed.
Lack of finsishing seems to be rampant throughout the whole club.Didn't see the match, just followed it on MatchTracker. Reported there as pretty dire, but I'll be interested to read what match going fans have to say.Stoke could be a nervy game, even with our senior players back, if we don't get the final 3rd performances sorted. Wonder how we'll handle Delap's bullets?
Not great/pretty dire. To be fair, unless you're Arsenal, these scratch teams rarely hit it off.
PIG: 6 - Nothing to do. I mean NOTHING. Well, 'til the last five minutes anyway.
RdS: 7 - Fast, committed, skilful. Superstar fullback in the making.
JOP: 6 - Lolloped up and down in classic O'Pie mode. Free transfer to Stoke, please.
GN: 6 - Solid/nothing to do. Looked very serious.
JE: 6 - See PIG entry.
Posse-posse-bon (Posse-bon!): 4 - Poor, particularly compared to lively Boro showing. One-paced and peripheral.
DG: 6 - Best of a bad midfield bunch. Solid but limited midfielder. No flair, no creativity and destined for the Championship.
AND: 6 - I don't think he'll ever score for Utd. If I go to hell, as I surely must, I imagine I'll be trapped in some kind of furnace type thingy watching him and Parkie taking short corners... aghhhh!!!
JSP: 5 - Great work-rate, great movement, great at rolling defenders. He just can't play football.
Nani: 4 - The new Ronaldo. In the sense that he's vain, self-indulgent and, in footballing terms, completely brain-dead. Did a Ronaldo at the end and sprinted off straight down the tunnel. Bit rude/disrespectful to QPR, I thought. Despite all that, he's definitely got talent.
CT: 7 - Not his best game, but in the circumstances (ie humiliation of playing in CC) he put in a typically tireless shift. Flashes from Rafael aside, only real quality on show. Enjoyed him muscling Nani off the penalty - AR-GEN-TINA!!!!!
DW: 7 - I love this kid. Languid, cool, plays it his way. Great touch and has Scholesy-esque awareness of the bigger picture. Inch perfect ball in from wide right near the end.
All in all, a rubbish night's football! But on we go!
Cant wait to hear what all the experts who believe the likes of Giggs, Fletcher, Scholes, O'Shea etc are the root of all evil who only stand in the way of all the young geniuses have to say about this one.
poor game poor performances just about sums it up. the cost of this game was nothing short of outrageaous and i feel like i was mugged.
I didnt see the game so cant really comment on the performance but it's a bit embarrasing when arsenals reserves dominate and beat a full strength premiership team 3-0 and we struggle with a team peppered with full internationals to beat a lower division team. Looking at the stats 15 corners and 23 shots at goal, and we score through a penatly that they could have avoided tells it's own story of this years displays.
All the press will be going on about the arsenal side as usual but they always forget that a lot of our young players are already playing for the first team and full internationals, but wenger scouts certainly can find a player all his team yesterday are fast with good technique also that vela fellow they have upfront is a great finisher, maybe we should buy him in january as it's needed.
It confirmed to me that Gary Neville is finished, most United players could not hit an empty net.
Fergie is in desperate need of a coach with a clue as Fergie and Pheelan are both Clueless.
Hitting long balls to tevez what a joke.Where was MANUCHO both he and Welbeck should have started.
So should Foster It beggars belief what Fergie is doing at the moment.
Then take Wenger whose young side of unknowns wiped a good Wigan side away like swatting a fly.
Very dissapointed in the rain watching that rubbish.The Brazilian trio all did well especially Anderson.
Why was Nancy Pederson playing at left back?Joke!
This would have been a great opportunity to show Manuch and Welbeck plus eckersley.
You obviously never went to the game!
The tactics were so poor Neville should never play another game. When ALEX is playing the likes of John O,Shea there is something very wrong.The Brazilians did well especially Anderson.
Why did Manucho and Welbeck start.
Hitting high balls to TEVEZ crazy you can see the coaching skills of Carlos are missing with players like NANI.
So much of the ball but can,t find the net.Perhaps they should watch Arsenals kids with a decent coach!
The thing is Fergie is no longer the man he was.Not when he keeps playing the likes of Neville and VDS Wenger played a 16 yr old yes English scored two and he should have had four.
We have an Italian 16 yr old who is a future star do you think we will ever see him whilst Fergie is in charge?
Thanks for the verdict Robbo. Nice to see that I'm not the only one to think Possebon is one-paced. Welbeck is more interesting.
i didnt go,listen to the radio and it said utd dominated the game and possesion,and qpr hed 10 men in the 18 yard box for what seemed like a year,thats not me that the radio 5 live commentators by the way.
It was very bad weather so for those of you who braved the weather i take my hat off to you,was it that bad though???
i have heard welbeck was showing good signs but nani and anderson were shooting high and wide,im glad tevez got his goal even if it was a penalty and i would keep him playing and id also play welbeck too if what i hear and read is good.
Drop the big stars apart from ronnie the magician.
Let the non scorers know that clueless fergie now has had enough and will sacrifice to make players win places based on performance.
As ive said i didnt go and had to rely on radio.
I just hope berb starts to actually move his legs and prove that he is worth all that money,but id sooner have a commited tevez any day of the week.
Why did we sell guiseppie rossi?????? clueless fergie,he was small but my he is putting them away,zola was small but class.
Maradona was small do you think Fergie can speak Italian or Portuguese
Or even French no he can’t so how can he do his coaching! Wenger has players at his club who speak his language along with English.
Yesterday was the worst tactics I have ever seen Manucho a big lad who is tough not another Fergie sick note who should have played he scores goals something all our millionaires can,t do at the moment.
Park is only played to sell shirts to the Asian market what’s his goals ratio?
Nani needs a real coach he does as he is told for his country.
Anderson For Brazil scores goals why yet again they have a coach he can relate to.
danny. Calm down.
Danny Wilmslow... first i suggest you go to the emirates & start watching them.... you'll probably get there as much as you do to OT (so you made a game last night....woooo!). Secondly, before you get on the train - & don't worry, you can't miss it, it goes straight past the stadium - i suggest you read Robbo's comments.
robbo - spot on - couldn't have described it better myself. Only thing i would add is that i txt my mate nr the end to say it was the worst game i've seen at OT for prob 20 yrs! I'm trying to think of one. any suggestions?... from anybody?
highlight/relief of the night was deffo Tevez wrestling the ball off Nini. (how he had the temerity to think he'd even be cloe to hitting the target i'll never know) & Wellbeck coming on!
plus Argentina ! ...showed how a top class pro should approach such a game! watch & learn nini,Anders,park, oaf Shea et al.
Balders. Coventry at home last season. Special mention for Ding Dong and his target man 'masterclass'.
Robbo, i did consider Cov last seaon but similar to the york debacle, imo there were more highs in those games (eg Anders performance v Cov) & not just from Utd. Those sides came to make a game and actually played some good football. The team in rugby shirts and jodhpurs were rank last night!
Although as you rightly point out, Dong provides a distinct counter argument because his performance was probably the single worst individual display in the last 20 yrs!
....plus Cov was at reduced entry prices ! - NB Mr.Gill & QPR !
Two posts on here refering to Fergie as being clueless. Wow, are some you starting to see the light? Great manager, just not a football brain.
CLUELESS, no, it's just a coach party of nutters on a day trip from the asylum.
Wenger... great coach.... can't handle big players!
So let me check my record books to see who has been the most successful.......on second thoughts, i can't be Arsened!
happy days!
Balders I just don’t go to Old TRAFFORD I go abroad as well, in between my Hospital treatment. I was watching United while you were still running around in Nappies.
Who Wanted Veron Saha Carrick and all the other Fergie failures?
Fergie dropped extremely lucky with Cantona he saved his bacon.
Ronaldo came on Giggs recommendation.
Carlos was the one who got in these young guns.
Fergie has been a great manager but a lousy coach.
It would be nice to think that United would employ Andy Cole while he gets his coaching badges and gets him into the system at OT. Andy was the most under-rated player yet natural striker since the start of the Premier League and I've not seen a player since who has his sense of when and where to move. I think his experience would be invaluable to United's strikers; my only doubt would be about Andy's ability to communicate something that was, for him, completely natural. He's a top lad and nearer to being a United legend than most mentioned on here. Sign him up.
robbo i think your marks are outrageously generous.
balders cant disagree it was as bad as it gets.