Lokomotiv Moscow started the season with the clear ambitions to build on the league title from last year and have an even better squad, with the star additions of Fedor Smolov, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Benedikt Howedes.
Yet they could not have endured a worst start, failing to score in the opening three games, and just about eking out a couple of narrow wins against poor teams in the opening eight games.
A five-goal capitulation away at Zenit in September basically ended any chance of another title rather prematurely but Yuri Semin buckled down and refused to give up. He managed to get the team into a better rhythm as the season went along and they strung a few wins together to close in on the top three.
The star signings mostly disappointed but the emergence of Anton Miranchuk and Dimiti Barinov as homegrown mainstays in midfield proved the biggest plus of the season.
The team started the second half of the season in a tight battle with CSKA Moscow and Krasnodar for the two places guaranteeing Champions League football and proved the most consistent of them as a whole, losing just once in the 13 league games from March onwards.
Loko at times frustrated and very much stumbled over the line after an injury crisis, but just about got the second spot ahead of Krasnodar on head-to-head, and have another group stage campaign in the Champions League to look forward to, having disappointed this season with just one win.
They also have a trophy to show for their efforts after going all the way in the Russian Cup, winning 1:0 against Ural in the final.
