Sir Alex 'Eleven Robinhos Don't Make A Team'

ELEVEN ROBINHOS DON'T MAKE A TEAM, SAYS SIR ALEX

MANCHESTER United coach Sir Alex Ferguson has offered his verdict on the big spending of rivals Manchester City declaring: "You can buy 11 Robinhos but it wouldn`t be a team would it?"

He added: "I made the point at the time, it`s all very well having all the money but you can`t buy everyone. It was proved in the summer.

"We didn`t want to sell Ronaldo, other clubs don`t want to sell their best players, and there are only so many players you can buy."

The Old Trafford boss, who has clocked up 21 years as United manager, told the club`s official magazine, Inside United: "Back in the 1950`s Sunderland were called 'The Bank of England Team` - and they got relegated. There are no guarantees.

"You can buy 11 individuals - you can buy 11 Robinhos but it wouldn`t be a team would it? The art of management is building a team with balance, with certain characteristics that blend with each other - that`s the most important thing.

"Mark Hughes will be faced with that situation having all this money and wondering what to do with it, and that can put you under a bit of additional pressure."

Sir Alex was also certain the massive financial input would not turn the heads of young United fans.

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He said: "I think that supporting football clubs is an inherent thing, you normally follow the team that your father or your grandfather followed, that`s the normal pattern.

"That loyalty remains all your life and it applies to fans of clubs up and down the country, big or small. What you`re brought up with, it stays with you, and that`s what supporting a team means. I don`t think any 13 year olds will be jumping ship because City have got a load of money!"

The Old Trafford coach also admitted he did not envy the young managers starting out today. "I think it`s a hell of a game now," he said.

"The first thing is to make sure you keep your principles, no matter what. No job is worth it if your pride and your principles are stretched to the limit.

"Once the job starts to impinge on those two things, you need to decide whether you`re in the right game.

"The problem is, football is steeped in most managers` blood. They`ve been in the game since they were kids, they all want to stay in the game and their dreams are still there, so that`s what makes it difficult.

"When I started out I didn`t have any money, so sticking with your principles is difficult when you`ve got three kids to feed, but it`s still so important. Look at what happened with Alan Curbishley - he did the right thing by walking away, and Kevin Keegan, which was a similar situation.

"There`s only so much you can take. At the end of the day you`re not the manager any more - I don`t know why they employ them in some situations."

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