THE European journey is over and now Pedro Caixinha must set out on the road to redemption. Once again, he could well fail to reach his destination.

Having started the season with his sights set on the Europa League group stages, Caixinha is now staring into the abyss at Ibrox. The defeat to Progres Niederkorn on Tuesday night was the worst night of his managerial career, and one of, possibly even the most, embarrassing in Rangers’ history. No excuses were offered, and none would have been accepted.

It was the kind of result that will be talked about for years, decades to come. Those that were there won’t forget the 90 minutes of shame and those that contributed to a woeful, abject performance won’t be allowed to live down their part in it all.

Rangers made the trip to Luxembourg taking nothing for granted, or so they said. They then proceeded to turn in a showing so devoid of inspiration and fight that it looked like they had done just that. The job was never completed and now Caixinha has a major one on his hands.

The supporters that followed their side to Europe did so in high spirits as they prepared for their first competitive match on the continent in six years. They had drinks in their hands and the sun on their backs.

But what should have been a straightforward victory and a smooth passage into the second round turned into a disaster for Rangers. Caixinha’s players were berated as they made their way down the tunnel and the fans then congregated at the team bus as they vented their fury long after the final whistle.

The post-mortem began immediately and it will be a lengthy, painful process. The future of the manager will be the first point of discussion.

The appointment of Caixinha was a gamble at a time when Rangers seemingly couldn’t afford to take one as the Ibrox board looked to heal the self-inflicted wounds of the Mark Warburton era. The Portuguese has already taken his share of body blows, though, and he will have to come out fighting quickly.

The questions over Caixinha’s ability and suitability are even more pertinent now than they were when he jetted in from Al-Gharafa and walked into the biggest job of his career. To date, he has done little to silence his critics or win over his doubters.

There was a degree of understanding towards him in the final weeks of last season, even as Celtic eased to Scottish Cup semi-final success and romped to Old Firm victory. When Aberdeen ended their long wait for a win at Ibrox, supporters kept a lid on their frustration levels in the hope of better to come.

Now, though, they have boiled over. Every aspect of Caixinha’s character and capabilities are being examined like never before and he faces a huge challenge to get a furious fan base back on side.

The coming campaign offered a fresh start and a renewed hope for Rangers. Before a Premiership ball has been kicked, they are on the back foot once again after they left the Stade Josy Barthel defeated and deflated.

This is now Caixinha’s side but it is not one that represents what he is supposed to be about. He has been depicted as the bull fighter that takes no bull, a tough taskmaster but an affable personality, yet his team bears no resemblance to that image.

Nobody in Light Blue emerged with any credit against Progres and nobody earned pass marks. It was an error-strewn display, one that was devoid of urgency in midfield and creativity up front.

A Niederkorn outfit that showed almost no attacking intent at Ibrox was able to carve out a series of chances on the night that they doubled their goal tally in European competition. They outfought and outthought a Rangers side that were abysmal in the final third of the field.

Lee Wallace and James Tavernier provided width but no quality from the full-back areas, while winger Daniel Candeias was on the periphery of proceedings throughout his 58 minutes on the field. The fact that Alfredo Morelos only lasted until the interval says everything about how he fared on his first start in Light Blue.

The woodwork may have denied Rangers three times in the closing minutes but it was it was frantic, desperate stuff by then. Against such limited opponents, it should never have been allowed to get to the ‘if only’ stage. The unthinkable had become reality.

The noise will diminish and the reactions will become less knee-jerk but the passing of time will not ease the pain or the sense of humiliation.

This is Caixinha’s mess and he will be given a chance to clear it up. Rangers have invested too much in him, both in financial and personal reputation terms, for him to be relieved of his duties right now. As bad as it was on Tuesday night, upheaval in the dugout would do more harm than good, especially after the arrival of so many players this summer.

Caixinha’s position is unquestionably weakened by the performance and the result and he will be under intense pressure in the opening weeks of the campaign.

He remains confident in his traits, his philosophy and his players. He now has more people than ever to convince, though.