Defeat to Ajax at Ibrox completed the unwanted whitewash in Group A. It condemned Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side to the position of the worst-ever Champions League outfit.
The reasons for that, coming just months after the Europa League final, will be debated and discussed in a painful post-mortem. Time will tell just what the full ramifications of this failure are on and off the park.
This campaign has been endured rather than enjoyed. At times, it has felt as much of an inconvenience as an embarrassment and there will be few at Ibrox who will be sorry to see the back of it now that Group A can be consigned to the history books.
The Champions League has not been all it is cracked up to be for Rangers. It started in appalling fashion in Amsterdam and rapidly deteriorated from there as Van Bronckhorst’s side found themselves brushed aside on a weekly basis.
Given the disparities in resources between Rangers and Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool, that was perhaps not unexpected. But the frustration comes from how Rangers have failed to compete physically, how they have crumbled mentally, as the basics have seemed beyond them at times.
Talk of finishing on a high against Ajax was heavily caveated. This has been a section where the minor positives have been overwhelmingly overshadowed and there was only pride left at stake on a night that, in the end, only delivered more frustration.
Ibrox roared for one final time as the famous theme tune reverberated around the stands and the Champions League logo fluttered under the floodlights in the centre of the pitch. Ultimately, though, Rangers bowed out with a whimper and a 3-1 defeat.
The lessons learned have been harsh for Van Bronckhorst and his players. For those who paid top dollar to watch them at home and abroad, the money banked by the club will be no consolation for the hundreds, thousands even, that they have personally invested in recent weeks.
In truth, even if every penny earned had been put on the park, it wouldn’t have made much difference to the outcome in Group A. There must be a realisation of where Rangers are right now and this side are just not cut out for winning matches at this level.
Those ranks were severely depleted once again here. Such a situation cannot be used as an excuse, but it must be taken into account when examining just where it has all gone wrong for Rangers over the course of the group and what unfolded in this final outing.
The frailties of a makeshift side were exposed inside three minutes. The move from Ajax was flowing down the left and Dusan Tadic and found Owen Wijndal before the ball was knocked into the path of Steven Berghuis.
It was no surprise what happened next. Rangers had been cut open all to easily and they were punished in a familiar manner as Berghuis beat Allan McGregor from 12 yards.
In a group that has been a nightmare from start to finish, this was just the setback that Rangers couldn’t afford. In that instant, any faint hopes of victory were dashed and the realisation hit that this was going to be another long, difficult evening.
The home crowd became increasingly restless. When Mohammed Kudus fired an effort low and wide late in the half, there were real howls of anger around the ground as Ajax once again exposed the shoddy Rangers defence.
The visitors had already scored their second of the night before that. Once again, Rangers were masters of their own downfall as Wijndal reacted quickest to a loose ball, rescued it and found Kudus in all the time and space he could have wished for.
The finish naturally followed. As the inquest began on the park, many in the stands would have reached for their phones to check on events in Plzen to gauge just how bad this was becoming.
There were few moments to encourage Rangers in the first half. Calvin Bassey cleared off the line from Fashion Sakala and a handful of crosses and shots were blocked.
It wasn’t good enough. In truth, it could have been worse at the break and Van Bronckhorst was left thankful that efforts from Kenneth Taylor and Steven Bergwijn didn’t result in Ajax extending their lead.
The boos that greeted the whistle were as subdued as the performance from Rangers. There were now just 45 minutes left to watch before no more needed said about Group A.
Kudus was denied his second of the night by a VAR check. It was followed by renditions of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ and ‘Three Little Birds’ by the Ajax support as they urged Rangers not to worry, because every little thing was going to be alright.
At least a section of Ibrox was enjoying their evening. Those in red, white and blue were certainly not and the clock couldn’t tick away quickly enough as Van Bronckhorst introduced Glen Kamara, Scott Wright and Alfredo Morelos in an attempt to find a spark from somewhere.
An effort from Scott Arfield at least forced keeper Remko Pasveer into action and Morelos somehow missed an open goal. Talk about moments summing up things perfectly.
Hope arrived with four minutes to go as James Tavernier – who was clearly struggling after receiving treatment on an ankle knock – slotted home from the spot after Rabbi Matondo was fouled. The captain rushed to retrieve the ball but the time remaining only allowed Ajax to secure the win as Francisco Conceicao completed the scoring.
That was that at Ibrox as the scene of so many nights of jubilation and achievement last term played host to another horrible occasion for a manager and a squad that have failed to hit their own heights.
The record books have been rewritten and Rangers can only hope that they are altered once again next term. This is one achievement that will never be spoken about.
