WELL, that’s that. Twelve months after the journey was completed, the first campaign back in the Premiership has only served to highlight how far Rangers still have to travel.

Another game, another narrow win and another day that saw more questions raised than queries answered.

The story of the season is a long and complicated one for Rangers but the 39-point gap to Celtic tells most of it. A new chapter will be written under Pedro Caixinha next term.

There have been few highs for the Gers this term but at least they ended on a positive as goals from Kenny Miller and Jon Toral clinched victory over St Johnstone.

Read more: Chris Jack: Success is the only way that Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha will silence his critics in Scottish footballGlasgow Times:

A season that started with a trip to Charleston ended with a journey to Perth. The hope and expectation that followed Mark Warburton’s side Stateside has long since dissipated and the last few months have been tough going for a demanding support and an underperforming squad.

A third-place finish in the Premiership is not what fans and players alike had in mind on their return to the top flight, while the semi-final defeats in the League Cup and Scottish Cup to Celtic were deflating afternoons for the Light Blue legions.

Now, with a nightmare campaign behind them, Rangers have to look forward as Caixinha prepares for a crucial summer of wheeling and dealing in the transfer market.

He has spent recent weeks assessing his squad and deciding who will go and who will stay. With the last game now out of the way, all of his focus is fixed on the future.

The result against the Saints meant little in the grand scheme of things but there was still a pressure to perform, and win. The latter was achieved at least.

Read more: Chris Jack: Success is the only way that Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha will silence his critics in Scottish football

Gers fans have been counting down to the final whistle at McDiarmid Park for some time and they would have made the trip to Perth relieved that just 90 minutes now stood between them and the end of the campaign.

Caixinha has tried many players and many formations during his opening weeks in the dugout and there were more switches here as keeper Jak Alnwick was handed his first start following his move from Port Vale in January.

There were starts for youngsters David Bates, Aidan Wilson, Myles Beerman and Jamie Barjonas, while fellow Academy kids Ross Lyon, Serge Atakayi and Kyle Bradley were handed spots on the bench.

It was a chance for the youngsters to catch Caixinha’s eye and look to win a place in his plans for when the Gers return to pre-season training on June 5. For most of the others, it could prove to be their last outing for the club.

St Johnstone will join Caixinha’s side in the Europa League qualifiers next term after another impressive campaign and they were determined to bow out with a win on home soil.

As Rangers struggled to get going, their play was lackadaisical and their passing slack, Tommy Wright’s side carved out a couple of decent chances in the first half hour.

The first arrived just six minutes in as Steven MacLean couldn’t poke home Blair Alston’s knockdown and the Saints would continue to put a disjointed Gers side under pressure.

Liam Craig saw an effort whistle just wide of target before MacLean should have done better as he connected with Alston’s cross from the right.

Keeper Alnwick didn’t have the most assured start between the sticks but he got a touch on a low strike from Craig Thomson before Miller had Rangers’ first real sight of goal as he tried to convert a dinked ball from Toral.

Read more: Chris Jack: Success is the only way that Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha will silence his critics in Scottish football

The striker wouldn’t have to wait long to get his 14th goal of the campaign. With just five minutes left of a low-key first half, Miller broke the deadlock.

He started the move as he found Martyn Waghorn on the right and the Englishman repaid the favour as Miller continued his run into the box.

Waghorn beat Tom Scobbie and worked a bit of space for himself to get a cross in. The finish from Miller was clinical as he found the bottom corner of Alan Mannus’ goal to finally give the large travelling support something to cheer.

Just eight minutes in the second half, they were on their feet again. Victory was now within Rangers’ sights.

It was another neat move from Caixinha’s side. James Tavernier was the architect this time around as he cut in from the right flank, jinked his way along the line and picked out Toral. With time and space in the area, the midfielder picked his spot and doubled the Gers’ lead.

That should have been that for Rangers but nothing about this season has been straightforward and the closing stages would be unnecessarily fraught.

A couple of chances came and went for the Gers – Waghorn passed up the most glaring as he hit a tame shot straight at Mannus – before the net rippled for the third time.

It was Graham Cummings who added his name to the scoresheet as he beat Alnwick with a powerful strike to set up a nervy finale. It almost got worse for Rangers just seconds later but Alnwick saved well from MacLean.

The final whistle brought a sigh of relief in more ways than one. The job was done, the season was over.

A couple of players threw their shirts into the crowd as the fans were thanked for their efforts, while Caixinha ended up surrounded by supporters beside his technical area. He posed for pictures and joined in with an impromptu bouncy.

It was a surreal end to a remarkable season. Now, another will begin.