Ferguson stands by Scholes´ return

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has rejected the notion that bringing Paul Scholes back from retirement is ‘regressive’.

The 37-year-old hung up his boots at the end of last season but the Old Trafford boss persuaded him to return for the latter half of this campaign to assist an injury-hit squad in the midfield, making his second debut for the club in Sunday’s 3-2 FA Cup third-round victory over Manchester City.

The veteran Red Devils coach was adamant that the move was a clever one and it was not a backwards step for the reigning Premier League champions.

“There were no negatives as far as I was concerned,” Ferguson said in an interview with Eurosport and www.yahoo.com.

“The only negative you were going to get was from the press, and one or two have been negative.”

“They’re making out it’s been a ‘regressive step’ for Manchester United. How can it be regressive?”

“You’re getting a player for nothing who’s been part of the club for 20-odd years, so how can it be regressive?”

“He knows the club. He’s not going to play every game, and Paul knows that.”

“But in terms of composure and passing ability, is there a better player going around? Definitely not.”

Another Old Trafford favourite, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, brought Molde the Norwegian league title in his debut season as manager and Ferguson sees this as no surprise considering his inquisitive behaviour during his playing career at the club.

“Ole was one of these professionals who used to take down all the notes of the training sessions and in games also,” he said.

“I think the problem for footballers today is that when they get to the end of their careers they decide to go and become coaches because there’s nothing else in their mind that they think they can do. Whereas with Ole, he always wanted to stay in the game.”

“So from an early age his preparation was (with a view to) staying in the game as a coach or a manager, as he is at the moment. So he’s given himself a better chance than the rest.”

“He’s got an inner toughness, no doubt about that. Ole comes across as a nice man, and he is a nice one. He’s got a lovely manner about him.”

“But if you go to a club like (Molde) in Norway that has never won the league in their history and you win the league, you have to have something about you to do that.”