Standard Liege were hoping for some positivity after a grim previous campaign and were pinning their hopes on Portuguese manager Ricardo Sa Pinto, someone who has endured mixed success in the short tenures at his previous clubs but knew the club well from his time as a player. He had a rocky start of the season as the defence looked shaky and flimsy while the attackers were devoid of ideas and urgency. A solitary win in the opening seven games meant that the new coach was soon starting to fret under pressure and badly needed a lift.
A last-minute win over Lokeren in September may well have saved him from the sack and Standard started to get a bit more consistent, without every really going close to the top sides. Their form deteriorated again late in 2017 and a few late collapses in games they should have won left the Liege side in difficult position in terms of finishing in the top-six. Yet the Reds gritted their teeth and started to gain traction again in January, with the key signing of Mehdi Carcela on a loan seal bringing a much-needed touch of flair and class.
The ending of the regular season was very dramatic as Standard seemed to be heading out of the top six after trialing 2:0 to Oostende at the break. Yet they pulled it out of the bag with a second-half comeback and snuck through the back door to make it to the Play Off I for a first time in two years. A week later, they were celebrating a trophy after edging Genk in the Belgian Cup final for an extra-time win, having previously ousted Anderlecht and Club Brugge on their way.
Suddenly there was real belief in the squad and players like Renaud Emond, Collins Fai, Razvan Marin and Edmilson were playing with confidence and showing a lot more than it was expected. Standard were the in-form side in the play-offs and a couple of big away wins at Gent and Anderlecht even made their fans dream of the title with a few games left. At the end, Standard finished second and will have Champions League qualifications to look forward to in the summer. It should qualify as a hugely successful season after the shambles of the first few months but Sa Pinto will not be around next season after parting ways with the club.
