Butt hails Fergie's 'smart move'

Nicky Butt believes Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson pulled off a psychological masterstroke by confirming Paul Scholes was coming out of retirement just before Sunday's Manchester derby.

United went into the FA Cup third-round tie at the Etihad Stadium on a downer following back-to-back Barclays Premier League defeats, but appeared to be given a lift by the news of Scholes' return, which broke just an hour before kick-off.

Ferguson's men swept into a 3-0 lead by half-time and, as City tore into their opponents after half-time, Scholes was brought on to stabilise the midfield, helping to seal a thrilling 3-2 win. And former United midfielder Butt told MUTV: "It was a smart move by the manager."

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