Tony Evans: Liverpool’s Summer of Shock, Sadness and Big-Name Signings

From heartbreak and tragedy to bold transfer moves, the Reds enter the new season with emotions running high and ambitions undimmed

Longest Summer Brings Unprecedented Drama for Liverpool

At last the serious action is back. It’s felt like the longest of summers.

There’s never been a pre-season like it. There’s been terror, anger, shock, deep sadness, raging optimism and massive spending. The emotional swings have been unprecedented.

From Title Celebrations to Tragedy and Shock

After the Premier League title was presented to Vigil van Dijk on May 25, the expectation was for a fairly stable three months with some judicious upgrading of the squad. Not for Liverpool.

Just 24 hours later it seemed like a nightmare was in progress. Paul Doyle drove his car into the crowd at the celebratory parade. It was horrifying. Most of us had friends and family at the event. Thankfully, the serious damage was minimal considering it was a mass casualty event. The potential severity of the situation is indicated by Doyle being charged with 31 offences. There was a huge sense of relief. Surely that was the worst thing that could happen.