If they haven't kicked in already, the butterflies must surely be arriving in David Beckham's stomach ahead of his first competitive return to Old Trafford on Tuesday. The former England captain will undoubtedly be proud to return to the club where he made his name but do you remember the acrimonious circumstances surrounding his departure.

First came "boot-gate" and it fast became obvious that Sir Alex Ferguson had had enough of Beckham's numerous other sponsorship deals and high-profile lifestyle so out he went to Real Madrid. Oliver Kay at the Times believes that Ferguson's decision to let Becks go was another in a long line of correct outgoing transfer decisions made by the United boss.

"In his dreams, David Beckham will score the spectacular goal that takes AC Milan to the Champions League quarter-finals at Manchester United’s expense. In his dreams, he will eschew celebrations out of respect and affection for his former club. In his dreams, he will lift the World Cup in Johannesburg on July 11 on the day that he equals Peter Shilton’s record of 125 appearances for England.

Beckham has made his dreams come true, but not, it must be said, for a long time. Since leaving United for Real Madrid in 2003, he has won one significant medal, the La Liga title in the final season of his inglorious spell at the Bernabéu.

Beyond that, there was one Spanish Super Cup (the equivalent of the English Community Shield) with Real, an MLS Western Conference title with the Los Angeles Galaxy and a creditable fifteenth place, one behind Angelina Jolie, in the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2007."

While AC Milan and Manchester Untetd are two teams used to playing in the Champions League, this season could see a team qualify from the Premier League that has never done so far. But with Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa all vying for a place in Europe's elite competition, John Ashdown at the Guardian has suggested a novel way of deciding who qualifies - a play-off system.

"It is little wonder that the Premier League's proposal to introduce a play-off system for England's fourth Champions League place seems to have been warmly welcomed by most of the top-flight's clubs.

The attractions are obvious. The play-off system in the Football League means that as the season reaches its climax, lots of teams have something to play for. At times the final day of the Premier League can be a damp squib. Play-offs, and the matches of those striving to reach them, would bring further excitement for fans. And besides, you can almost hear the Premier League's top brass saying it is tough to sell meaningless games to a worldwide audience.

The longer-term benefit would be to spread the wealth (or, at least, to improve the chances of the wealth being spread). The money that the Champions League brings puts the clubs involved in a virtuous circle. Champions League qualification leads to more money and prestige, more money and prestige leads to better players, better players lead to Champions League qualification. This closed shop, threatened though it is this season, has become a turn-off. Any attempt to break the quadopoly at the top is surely to be applauded."