Source: SKY_Sports
Fergie questions Real balance
Sir Alex Ferguson, Leonardo and Louis van Gaal are united in their belief that Real Madrid will struggle to secure silverware this season.
The Spanish giants have embarked on an astonishing summer spending spree, bringing in attacking triumvirate Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and defender Raul Albiol.
President Florentino Perez is ready to splash out further millions with Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso heading their list of targets, giving new coach Manuel Pellegrini a host of options.
But Manchester United manager Ferguson, AC Milan coach Leonardo and Bayern Munich boss Van Gaal feel that building a winning team requires much more than just massive financial investment.
Ferguson said: "There is a great example of a team (who could not buy success). It was called Sunderland and spent so much money that it was known as the Bank of England club.
"They didn't win anything and in the end they got themselves relegated. I'm not saying that Real Madrid will get relegated but they will have plenty of problems with balance.
"I do not know how Pellegrini plans to pick his side because it has no balance. I told Ronaldo before he flew out that he will end up playing centre-half because I don't think they have one."
SpiritLike Ferguson, Leonardo saw his star man - Kaka - depart for Santiago Bernabeu and feels that Real will struggle to instil an instant team unity among their new arrivals.
The Brazilian added: "It will not be easy for Real and they have not succeeded in the past. They had their experiment with the galacticos and at the end of it all they did not win everything.
"You can buy up good talent but it is not easy to construct a squad and manage players like Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema.
"You need more than just money to build a team. You need more than talent, you need spirit and we will have to see if Madrid have this spirit."
It is a stance which experienced Dutchman Van Gaal concurs with as he prepares for his first term at the helm of German giants Bayern.
He said: "My belief is that you have to make a team, you just cannot go out and buy one. I hope Real can make a team out of so many individuals but I don't know if they can.
"Alex Ferguson has done it for 20 years and I believe that I have managed to do it, but I know it is very hard."
