As weary Rangers players chilled on beaches after a gruelling campaign, it didn’t take long for withdrawal symptoms to kick in among the Rangers support. A summer without the Euros or a World Cup drags on and on - there’s only so many box sets you can binge on before the football bug bites. 

Now, after a few weeks of friendlies and an influx of exciting signings, the new season is about to take off. It can’t come quickly enough.

Yes, there was sadness at Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey leaving but getting close to £30m for them eased the pain a tad - and financed replacements who look to be top drawer.

The usual caveat applies. Only a fool rushes to judgment on players after a couple of warm-up games. But the new guys are Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s picks and this is a serious upgrade, with quality back-up in every position. There are no ‘project’ players among them and I envisage four or five of the incomers becoming regular first choices. Stevie’s team is palpably transitioning to Gio’s team.

When you look at the combined cost - around £12m to bring in Ridvan Yilmaz, Ben Davies, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo, Antonio Colak, Malik Tillman and John Souttar - that is brilliant business by any yardstick.

This is also the time when fans predict what lies ahead for their heroes. The Light Blue legions always have the same wish list - win the title, a cup or two, and a clean sweep in Old Firm games. Oh, and a decent run in Europe would be good.

After 150 years I suspect the expectation levels might be different now. Change comes slowly in football but the buzz of getting to Seville - and making the group stages in the past four seasons - may have switched the focus of fans. Europe is no longer an afterthought, it’s a priority.

And why not? Away fixtures on tight, muddy pitches in a dreich Scottish winter don’t have the same appeal as huge European games at an adrenaline-fuelled Ibrox with the stands bouncing. The home scene is bread and butter fare that keeps the club ticking along but the real feast is Europe.

As last season moved towards its bitter-sweet conclusion, fans on social media argued about what was more important - winning the title or the Europa League. Some wanted the domestic prize but, for most, Europe was by far the biggest capture. Rightly so. 

That question posed now would surely produce the same answer. Europe has to be the main attraction. This year, the prospect of reaching the Champions League group stages is mouth-watering. Even if that doesn’t happen, another crack at the Europa League is guaranteed.

And it’s not just the glamour of the games that is so appealing. The cash generated is massive compared to the domestic pot. That means more can be spent on the squad, the academy, the infrastructure.

Which is not to say the domestic scene must suffer. At Rangers, every game in Scotland is a must-win and that remains the case. There’s not a Teddy alive who won’t continue to savour three points or cup wins - and beating Celtic will never bring anything less than deep joy in any circumstance. Conversely, losing or drawing will be as painful as ever. When you’re all in, you want to win everything.

Gio can’t just concentrate on one stage to the detriment of another. Getting the title back is paramount and eradicating squandered points in games that should have been out of sight, as happened last season, will be key.

But a new expectation has evolved. Over the last five years, Rangers are 10th in the Euro ranking points table above Barcelona, Manchester United and Juventus - and that has brought a different outlook for fans. The hot ticket of the coming months has to be those European nights. 

Rangers Review:

Intriguingly, while Rangers thrived, Celtic regressed. Manager Ange Postecoglou appears unwilling to alter his tactics against better teams from the continent, as did his predecessor Brendan Rodgers. It will be fascinating to see if he continues this gung-ho approach in the Champions League. 

Celtic diehards won’t admit it but they’ve had to watch their biggest rivals become a significant force in Europe - and that hurts. In fact, I sense Celtic fans might also be shifting their thoughts to Europe after watching the Teddies go all the way to Seville.

Be in no doubt, Rangers have upped the ante considerably and put pressure on the Hoops to at least match them in Europe. Their fans won’t be so forgiving if the Parkhead side suffer badly against top teams. Ange-ball will have to be dialled down if he wants to keep his hero status.

While it’s clear there’s been a change in the ambitions of the big two that should see them concentrate more on the foreign stage, it's Rangers that will have a hefty advantage thanks to their manager and his coaching staff.

Van Bronckhorst has been praised for his tactical nous in Europe. Again and again last term, he out-thought and out-fought sides on far bigger budgets. With more technically gifted players added to the squad, and his team now having a tangible European pedigree, Rangers will be feared - even by big name opponents.

Get those passports checked now. This could be a season to savour.