Given how not impressive and not convincing rangers have been in these early weeks of the new season under Russell Martin, there was always a fear that they can suffer a heavy blow at some point.
A fear that a train came into the tracks and that the team of Martin, slowly and heavy in everything they do, could not free enough to avoid it.
Well, this was a train wreck, okay. An absolute horror show of a performance that this season extinguished any realistic prospect of Champions League – football – and the lifespan of Martin as a manager.
Although it may seem premature to reach that kind of conclusions in mid -August, you simply cannot play down how completely toxic the atmosphere was at Ibrox.
Rangers got away 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 that was faster in both deed and thought everywhere on the field, Club Brugge rose during a dominant first half.
The Belgians had been here a few weeks ago at Ibrox during the preseason and drove in an early 2-0 lead before they got their foot from the gas and Rangers were able to fight and claim a 2-2 draw.
With Champions League football and £ 40 million at stake, there was no chance of a repeat. Bruges was 2-0 within seven minutes and then 3-0 up by the time we had played for 20 minutes.
They kept one foot firmly on the gas, with the other firmly on the throat of Rangers. This was a new low point and it becomes clear that Martin is in a world of problems.
Admittedly, nobody really expected Rangers to reach the Champions League. Many people did not even expect them to get that far.
But did anyone really expect this? A team hopelessly non -competitive and out of their depth? A system that is torn apart and exposed by a team of real substance?
The first time they have had to deal with an opponent of real quality, capitulated Rangers completely capitulated. Damn for Martin, there is no sign of progression. If there is something, things get worse.
Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, who were both in Ibrox last night, found a pragmatic style that Rangers could be competitive in Europe.
Martin, on the other hand, coaches a team that looks visibly and wide open in a brutal way. Make no mistake, Rangers were lucky that it was only 3-0 during the break. It could have been everything.
Rangers improved in the second half and withdrew a goal thanks to Danilo, but they will travel to Belgium next week for the return bone knowing that the draw is already over.
Martin can count his happy stars that Bruges has dropped off after the break. If they had continued their attack, this could have become much, much worse than just 3-1. Maybe a small sign of comfort.
Jayden Meghoma was placed for an immediate debut at Left-Back after he had been on loan at Brentford earlier in the week at Rangers.
The other large selection call opposite Martin came in front. After he had suffered an injury in PLZEN last week, Cyriel Dessers missed it, with Danilo getting the nod to start as the central striker.
In the meantime, Bruges arrived in Glasgow in search of last season's impressive run to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Nicky Hayen's Kant has qualified in seven of the past nine seasons for this competition, an indication of the family tree and consistency that made them such a strength in Belgium and then.
One side in transition, they have received £ 70 million from the sale of top talent in the summer. Ardon Jashari joined AC Milan for £ 30 million, a record compensation for every Belgian club.
Full-back Maxim de Cuyper and Winger Chemsdine Talbi meanwhile on the way to the English Premier League for £ 20 million each to become a member of Brighton and Sunderland.
Bruges has re -invested £ 30 million of that money and came to Ibrox on the back of six victories from seven games at the start of the new season, a run with throwing away Red Bull Salzburg in the previous round.
It didn't take long before they find their rhythm last night. With just three minutes on the clock, a moment of complete disaster in the Rangers defense saw the visitors score the opening goal.
Nasser Djiga and Jack Butland came in a terrible confusion and did not succeed in going with what a fairly harmless ball should have been forward.
Butland started to come out, then stopped and withdrew. Djiga did nothing at all and allowed Romeo Vermant in one on one. The Bruges striker cut a beautiful first finish over Butland's head for 1-0.
It was 2-0 after seven minutes when a Christos Tzolis-Hoek Centrum-Back Jorne Spileers found completely unark. Offered a criminal amount of space, his side-foot volley nestled in the lower corner of Butland through a deflection.
A bad start turned into a complete horror show when the Belgians went 3-0 in 20 minutes. The move started with another mistake by Djiga, who had a really terrible night.
He jumped in and sold himself much too easy, so that Bruges skipper Hans Vanaken could run away. The ball was worked on Brandon Mechele and, at the age of 500 for the club, he furiously a brilliant finish past Butland.
Some Rangers -fans had seen and started to leave. In the Main Stand of Bill Struth, just behind the press box, a scuffle broke out between gamblers who clearly did not see eye to eye.
It was completely chaotic. A first half with absolutely no redeeming characteristics, it had been a shame for a performance by Rangers.
It could actually have been worse. Only six minutes before the break it was a smart low save from Butland to prevent Bruges-wing player Carlos Forbs not being 4-0.
Somewhat incredibly, Martin chose not to make any changes during the break. Djiga's head had disappeared and he should have been removed.
Max Aarons was not far behind. Slack and error -sensitive in everything he did, his bad start at Rangers continued. He is not an upgrade on James Tavernier about the evidence so far.
Mohamed Diomande was an empty sweater in midfield, also Joe Rothwell, while the forward line offered nothing.
The truth is told, there were no rangers players in those who opened 45 minutes who even got something close to pass markets.
They finally got their act together and pulled a back five minutes after the break, with the young debutant Meghoma who a low ball over the goal of the goal for Danilo Fizz to hit the past Simon Mignolet.
The goal died the ibrox. Despite the car accident that had folded away from them, they thought belief. Or maybe it was just pure challenges.
Whatever it was, Rangers looked better. Djidi Gassama just slapped a low shot just wide of Mignolet's goal, where Martin then made a double change while Hamza Igamane and Thelo Baasgaard Danilo and Diomande replace.
Gassama turned out to be the only clear spark for Rangers and it seemed that he had scored a second goal for his team with just over 10 minutes to play.
But it was excluded after a VAR -Check had warned the French referee Francois Letexier that Mignolet had two hands on the ball after Gassama had acquitted the left channel and he had put it into the net.
Igamane also made a positive difference after he came from the bank. His movement and involvement in the build -up game was so much more dynamic than the lead -footed Danilo.
But Rangers were always the second best. The draw is over and the only thing that remains is that Martin picks up the pieces and tries to find a way to rebuild the shattered trust of these players, as well as faith among supporters.