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There was admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. Yet, the match was decided as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes once more on making proper impact. Their only regret here was in not delivering a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is 36, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. This point was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a corner at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team minus the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have levelled matters immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball from that point. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period started against a curious backdrop. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, obviously menacing in message, showed the pair with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the club owner thinks about the situation. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not targeted the owner so far but there is a rebellious mood around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, Chermiti was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to gauge the visitors’ continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably lifted and on to the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side meant this fixture ended more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.