Just think about it. The educational analogies are long and clear when you look closer.

All the end of term celebrations and awards. A long summer of rest and recuperation, before preparing for a new year with hopes and aspirations. Buying the new kit, or uniform, or for us teachers, spending loads at Primark so you look the part. A large building full of people where many have gone before. Having to get to know loads of new signings  (I now know how City fans must feel when I was faced with thirty new Year 7 faces). Difficult fixtures, that is lessons, with challenging opponents. League tables. Training, that is revision, before the exams or World Cup tournament. Emotions running high during fifty minute matches when you try to win ie actually teach something. Dealing with bad behaviour and the punishments. Marking, or post-match analysis. Being proud of what you support, even though it’s often difficult and upsetting (well, mine is a tough school). And like Everton, in a couple of years our school will close and move to a futuristic new home.

In terms of football, 2007-8 promised much after an eventful summer. Money was spent frivolously, new television channels arrived, controversy reigned after certain events, and anticipation was high. So far, it hasn’t disappointed.

Liverpool have unsurprisingly been the most impressive team in my region so I’ll start with them. They remind me of a year 11 lad who I never got on with but so far he has returned with a changed attitude and is actually pleasant to me. I hate to say it but Voronin, Babel, Pennant and particularly Torres have been outstanding. Liverpool can now play more exciting attacking football on the break, and are getting results where they once wouldn’t have. But for a dodgy decision (when I said same old story to a drunk Red after that match, he didn’t get the irony, but I was proud of it) they would have a hundred percent record.

Another team in red who’ve started well is Morecambe, though slightly less famously. They’re like my new ICT set, a small group with promise but naïve and with lots to learn. Their wins at Preston and Tranmere were fantastic, and a couple of other good results mean they are nicely settled in League Two, with an intriguing away tie at Sheffield United to come. Elsewhere in Lancashire, Preston and Blackpool have not set their league alight just yet, and Seasiders/Tangerines/whatever nickname you like, must be worried that Simon Grayson may soon be off to join the Mandaric madness at Leicester. However, just down the road, Blackburn have made a good start. They were unlucky not to beat Everton recently, and are progressing nicely in Europe. Roque Santa Cruz is not just the inspiration for some good chants but looks a class act, and even though they are still bruisers, have some very good and skilful players going forward who will score them goals.

Tranmere are solid if unspectacular, and have had a couple of good away wins. Carlisle were doing well too, despite losing their manager early on, but lost at home last week and will be looking to get back to winning ways soon. Wigan are up and down, with Heskey doing especially well and deserving an England recall.

These teams represent my new classes, I know a bit about them but we’ve not spent enough time together for me to comment further. I’m sure we will get to know each other better and I’ll soon have more to say about them. Wigan actually came to us the first day of the season and looked poor, but then we didn’t look much better. They were that difficult first lesson that you just want to get through with minimum fuss and a positive outcome. However, the Tottenham away game will already be one of the highlights of the season, a bit like my lie-ins during the weekend after the first week back, and all looked very good when we sat proudly at the summit of the football league. Even after two matches, that was a sight for sore eyes, as were Arteta’s silky skills. The wheels seemed to have come off after the disappointments of Reading and Blackburn, but then came Bolton away, and the joy of seeing Joleon wheeling away after his last minute winner.

To be honest, the signings Moyes has made have so far looked very good. At least an hour of deadline day was spent with me sat transfixed on various websites awaiting the sight of Riquelme in a blue shirt holding up a replica footy. Sadly this was just a fantasy, but even the Argentinian would have struggled to match the immediate effect that Yakubu and Gravesen had at the Reebok. Baines and Jagielka are also looking really good acquisitions, though less high profile, and Steven Pienaar has showed glimpses of a talent but looks a little lightweight, perhaps a bit like Leon Osman.

Talking of Gravesen, I was slightly surprised by his return. People often say you should never go back. Experience from past relationships will have taught many of us that. For us Evertonians, the experiences of Ferguson and Kendall (twice) have made painful viewing, but since Tommy Grav was never everyone’s cup of tea first time around, we’ll reserve judgement a little longer. He will never be as good a player as the seemingly snidey Manuel Fernandes, but on his day can be effective and clearly loves the club and the fans which will do for me.

Upcoming games against Utd and Metalist will tell us more about where we are, but even if we lose both, the signs are promising. I think Everton are like my tutor group. I love them to bits and they sometimes frustrate me but they try hard and I see them often enough to know what to expect from them. They have their moments and a couple of difficult individuals but what I like most about them is that they’re mine and they appreciate my support, we grow together and I’ll defend them to the hilt.

In terms of the rest of the school, sorry Premier League, new initiatives, approaches and attitudes have made interesting viewing. It looks like being a slightly less predictable season, even Manchester United haven’t done much yet. Tottenham have surprised many with their lacklustre start, their match with Arsenal will be interesting I’m sure. Meanwhile, teams like Villa and Manchester City look much stronger than last year and may continue to surprise the top teams. As things stand, that group includes Everton, which is a nice thing to be saying. England do often flatter to deceive, but did quite well against Israel and may continue the feel good factor around football at the minute.

Unlike football however, my first week back was rubbish. But, just like football, there’s always hope. The Carling Cup’s coming up soon. But then again, we might just get an Ofsted.