Given how unimpressive and unconvincing Rangers have been in these early weeks of the new season under Russell Martin, there was always a fear they might suffer a heavy beating at some point.
A fear that a train was coming down the tracks and that Martin’s team, slow and ponderous in everything they do, would be unable to free themselves quickly enough to avoid it.
Well, this was a train wreck, alright. An absolute horror show of a performance which extinguished any realistic prospect of Champions League football this season – and shortened Martin’s lifespan as manager.
Whilst it may seem premature to be reaching those kind of conclusions in mid-August, you simply cannot downplay how utterly toxic the atmosphere was at Ibrox.
Rangers got away with it in the previous two rounds against Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen, thanks to a combination of Jack Butland and wasteful opponents.
There was nothing to save them on this occasion. A slick team who were quicker in both deed and thought all over the pitch, Club Brugge ran riot during a dominant first half.
Romeo Vermant of Club Brugge celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 at Ibrox
Brandon Mechele scores with a sensational strike to make it 3-0 to Brugge in the first half
Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland looks dejected after his side’s performance
The Belgians had been here at Ibrox during pre-season a few weeks ago and cruised into an early 2-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Rangers to fight back and claim a 2-2 draw.
With Champions League football and £40million at stake, there was no chance of a repeat. Brugge were 2-0 up inside seven minutes, and then 3-0 up by the time we had played 20 minutes.
They kept one foot firmly on the gas, with the other pressed firmly on Rangers’ throat. This was a new low and it’s becoming clear Martin is in a world of trouble.
True, nobody really expected Rangers to reach the Champions League. A lot of people didn’t even expect them to get this far.
But did anyone really expect this? A team hopelessly uncompetitive and out of their depth? A system which is ripped apart and exposed by any team of genuine substance?
The first time they have faced an opponent of genuine quality this season, Rangers utterly capitulated. Damningly for Martin, there is no sign of progression. If anything, things are getting worse.
Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, both of whom were at Ibrox last night, found a pragmatic style that enabled Rangers to be competitive in Europe.
Martin, on the other hand, is coaching a team who look brutally exposed and wide open. Make no mistake, Rangers were lucky it was only 3-0 at half-time. It could have been anything.
Danilo pulled a goal back for Rangers after the break to give them some hope for the return
Rangers improved in the second half and pulled a goal back thanks to Danilo, but they will travel to Belgium for the return leg next week knowing the tie is already over.
Martin can count his lucky stars that Brugge dropped off after half-time. Had they continued their assault, this could have ended up far, far worse than just 3-1. A small token of consolation perhaps.
Jayden Meghoma was pitched in for an immediate debut at left-back after joining Rangers on loan from Brentford earlier in the week.
The other big selection call facing Martin came up front. After picking up an injury in Plzen last week, Cyriel Dessers missed out, with Danilo getting the nod to start as the central striker.
Brugge, meanwhile, arrived in Glasgow looking to build on last season’s impressive run to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Nicky Hayen’s side have qualified for this competition in seven of the past nine seasons, an indication of the pedigree and consistency that have made them such a force in Belgium and beyond.
A side in transition, they have banked £70m from the sale of top talent over the summer. Ardon Jashari joined AC Milan for £30m, a record fee for any Belgian club.
Full-back Maxim De Cuyper and winger Chemsdine Talbi, meanwhile, headed for the English Premier League at £20m apiece to join Brighton and Sunderland.
Brugge have reinvested £30m of that money and came to Ibrox on the back of six wins from seven matches at the start of the new season, a run which included disposing of Red Bull Salzburg in the previous round.
It did not take long for them to find their rhythm last night. With only three minutes on the clock, a moment of utter calamity in the Rangers defence saw the visitors score the opening goal.
Nasser Djiga and Jack Butland got themselves into a terrible mix-up and failed to deal with what should have been a fairly innocuous ball forward.
Butland started to come out, then stopped and retreated. Djiga did nothing at all and allowed Romeo Vermant in one on one. The Brugge striker clipped a beautiful first-time finish over Butland’s head for 1-0.
It was 2-0 after seven minutes when a Christos Tzolis corner found centre-back Jorne Spileers totally unmarked. Afforded a criminal amount of space, his side-foot volley nestled in Butland’s bottom corner via a deflection.
Rangers manager Russell Martin has endured a tough start to his reign at Ibrox
A poor start turned into a full-blown horror show when the Belgians went 3-0 up on 20 minutes. The move started with another error from Djiga, who was having a truly dreadful night.
He jumped in and sold himself far too easily, allowing Brugge skipper Hans Vanaken to scamper away. The ball was worked to Brandon Mechele and, on his 500th appearance for the club, he rifled a brilliant finish beyond Butland.
Some Rangers fans had seen enough and started to leave. In the Bill Struth Main stand, just behind the press box, a scuffle broke out among punters who clearly did not see eye to eye.
It was utterly chaotic. A first half with absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever, it had been an embarrassment of a performance from Rangers.
It could actually have been even worse. Just six minutes before the break, it took a smart low save from Butland to prevent Brugge winger Carlos Forbs from making it 4-0.
Somewhat incredibly, Martin chose not to make any changes at half-time. Djiga’s head was gone and he should have been taken off.
Max Aarons wasn’t far behind. Slack and error-prone in everything he did, his poor start at Rangers continued. On the evidence so far, he is no upgrade on James Tavernier.
Djeidi Gassama thought he had made it 3-2 but his goal was ruled out after a VAR check
Mohamed Diomande was an empty jersey in midfield, likewise Joe Rothwell, whilst the forward line offered nothing.
Truth be told, there were no Rangers players in those opening 45 minutes who got anything even remotely close to pass-marks.
They finally got their act together and pulled one back five minutes after the break, with young debutant Meghoma fizzing a low ball across the face of goal for Danilo to thump it beyond Simon Mignolet.
The goal energised the Ibrox crowd. Despite the car crash that had unfolded before them, they found belief. Or perhaps it was just sheer defiance.
Whatever it was, Rangers looked better. Djeidi Gassama lashed a low shot just wide of Mignolet’s goal, with Martin then making a double change as Hamza Igamane and Thelo Aasgaard replace Danilo and Diomande.
Gassama was proving to be the one bright spark for Rangers and it looked like he had scored a second goal for his team with just over 10 minutes to play.
But it was ruled out after a VAR check had alerted French referee Francois Letexier that Mignolet had two hands on the ball after Gassama had wriggled free down the left channel and poked it away from him into the net.
Igamane also made a positive difference after coming off the bench. His movement and involvement in the build-up play was so much more dynamic than the leaden-footed Danilo.
But Rangers were always second best. The tie is over and all that remains now is for Martin to pick up the pieces and try to find a way of rebuilding the shattered confidence of these players, as well as faith among supporters.
