While the night fell on the Doosan Arena, there was a strange mix of emotions among the Rangers fans while filtering back in the center of PLZEN.
There was of course a degree of satisfaction with some of the gamblers who had transferred their team to the play-off round of the Champions League.
A few months ago, when Russell Martin took the track and the team underwent the football equivalent of open heart surgery, many doubt Rangers would even get that far.
But there was also a considerable amount of despondency and frustration that Rangers had made life so unnecessary for themselves against second -class opposition.
Relief was probably the compelling emotion. Relief that Rangers had not completely blown it up, even though the Czechs won 2-1 at night while wasting various other opportunities with gilded edges.
There was also a sense of self-contempt, with a Glaswegian voice that was heard against a splash stage officer while they left: “We'll see you again in the Europa League in a few months.”
It was just a disposable comment, but it summarized the lack of trust and faith among a large number of fans where this team is going in Europe.
As it looks now, the opportunities that Martin's new side from Club Brugge will feel over two legs. You would not bet that your last five on those who defeated Alloa in Ibrox on Saturday, let alone a team that reached the Champions League Knockouts last season.
Admittedly, if they play as they did in the first stage against PLZEN in Glasgow, Rangers must at least make it a game.
However, play as they did in the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening, Bruges could easily place four or five goals beyond them.
Martin spoke about this on Tuesday evening in his media conference after the game. The gap between Rangers at their best compared to when they are in the worst case is too big.
Part of the improvement and development of this team will be to show the ability to close that gap and to develop a more consistent performance level.
A lot has been made of the playing style among the new manager, with Rangers who do not play at all, regardless of the pressure their opponents they experience.
There has been a focus on Jack Butland, John Souttar and Nasser Djiga as the triumvirate at the back of whom everything was built.
There has also been a lot of discussion about whether Nico Raskin should play for Joe Rothwell if the single pivot at the basis of midfield, or whether the Belgian international should be further ahead.
All this focuses on what Rangers do, but nobody really spoke much about the biggest problems when the team is out of possession.
In their six consecutive games so far under Martin, Rangers have allowed their opponents to have 101 shots on goal. According to someone's standards, that is way too much.
They have not even played an opposition of any quality so far. They have been Panathinaikos, Motherwell, Dundee and Viktoria Plzen.
As soon as they come to play to play Club Brugge of Celtic, fans will break out in a cold sweat with regard to what a good team could do with Rangers at the moment.
Even hearts look like they can form a huge problem in the current form and their visit to Ibrox in September already looks enormous.
Let Celtic for a moment. If the hearts would go to Ibrox and would win, place even more daylight between themselves and Rangers, they could become Martin's biggest problem. He would get into big trouble.
The Ibrox boss also spoke on Tuesday evening about how certain aspects of the performance 'irritated' him. Namely, after playing the back and breaking the PLZEN press, the ball did not stab.
Cyriel Dessers had a terrible game before they link with a knee injury. His hold-up play did not exist and he was easily surpassed by the PLZEN Center backs.
So effective in the first stage in Glasgow, Wingers Djeidi Gassama and Oliver Antman also struggled to make an impact.
But it was the injury to dessers who now increase the prospect that Rangers should go back to the transfer market.
The truth is told, they have added to a new striker all summer, even before the sessers hob and leave PLZEN in a knee brace.
Neither he nor Danilo will be the long -term solution. Neither of them has the technical skills to play in Martin's system, although Danilo made a difference when he came to PLZEN.
They are both inconsistent and unreliable. None of this is new for Rangers. They have known this for a long time and both Martin and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell have worked on identifying possible Spits goals.
After a nerve and non-conscious display in PLZEN, the advantage for Rangers is that they will now bank a guaranteed £ 3.7 million thanks to the reaching of the play-off round of the Champions League.
That is undoubtedly a welcome boost. But from Martin's point of view, he has re -invested in the team as much as possible.
Not in January or next summer, but at the moment, before the summer window is closed at the end of August.
How much money is left of the initial investment of £ 20 million promised by the new American owners of the club?
All of this would not be pumped directly into the play team, but Rangers have so far spent almost £ 15 million on new players.
There are still players who have to be integrated into the team in forward areas. Hamza Igamane, Thelo Baasgaard and Mikey Moore are expected to perform all on Saturday against Alloa in the Premier Sports Cup.
How Martin chooses to use Baasgaard and Moore will be interesting. They both attack midfielders who can also play wide if necessary.
Igamane can play centrally and is a better option than Dessers or Danilo, but the smart money still feels as if Rangers will probably cash in the young Moroccan before the end of the window.
If an offer of approximately £ 15 million was received, they would be a tidy profit banks, move him further and invest the money again.
But because attention is now coming back to the Interior this weekend, one thing is clear. If Rangers succeed in giving Martin with more new players before the end of the window, this must be a new striker.
The need for a new No. 9 could hardly be clearer than when the club painted and advertised on Edmiston Road on a gigantic billboard.