Soccer-Tasty icing, cherry on top but will United cake crumble?

By Ed Osmond LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Manchester United emerged from the transfer window with a rich icing and the brightest of cherries to decorate their cake but the suspicion remains that the team's base may crumble under pressure. Colombia striker Radamel Falcao has the pedigree to light up Old Trafford and Argentine midfielder Angel Di Maria the class to fill the club's iconic number seven shirt with distinction. The high-profile signings are consistent with United's history of playing attacking football and proof that despite the club's lack of European football this season they can still attract the world's top players. Swapping Falcao for Javier Hernandez and Di Maria for Shinji Kagawa is indisputably a significant upgrade. But United failed to offload midfielders including Tom Cleverley, Marouane Fellaini and Anderson whose futures under new manager Louis van Gaal look bleak. Even more worryingly, Van Gaal failed to recruit the top-class central defender he so badly needs following the departures of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Argentine Marcos Rojo will increase the Dutchman's options along with the arrival of his versatile compatriot Daley Blind but the unconvincing Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans will have to shoulder the main responsibility at the back. Central midfield has also been a major problem area for United since the halcyon days of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. The experienced Michael Carrick has been the main man for the past two seasons but, partnered by Darren Fletcher or Cleverley, the team's lack of pace and creativity in central areas was frequently exposed. Van Gaal has brought in Spaniard Ander Herrera, who will add speed and bite in the middle of the park, and he may try to deploy Di Maria centrally as well in order to fit Juan Mata into the side. Mata has failed to shine since his 37 million-pound ($61.2 million) move from Chelsea in January and his place in United's starting line-up may be under threat as Van Gaal seeks to play a more energetic and high-tempo game. United should not be short of goals with Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney leading the line. Although Van Persie failed to live up to his stellar first year at United last season, the Dutchman should relish working with his former international manager Van Gaal. Rooney, entrusted with the captaincy of both club and country, must assume more responsibility and Van Gaal may make use of his ability to play out wide or just behind the strikers. With Spaniard David de Gea firmly established in goal and England's Luke Shaw recruited from Southampton as a speedy left back and Adnan Januzaj on the wing, United squad's has strength in depth. But the team resembles Kevin Keegan's free-flowing Newcastle side of the mid-1990s which scored goals for fun but conceded with equal abandon, famously allowing Alex Ferguson's United to overhaul them to win the 1996 title. Following last season's dismal seventh-placed finish under David Moyes, Van Gaal has serious work to do before he can boast of side of the quality of Keegan's Newcastle and the Dutchman knows he must add substance to the sparkling attacking quality within his squad. ($1 = 0.6051 British Pounds) (Editing by Justin Palmer)