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There was impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a obvious difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. Yet, the game was decided as a contest at that stage. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of this standing. Roma have ambitions once more on making proper impact. Their only regret here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in Europe. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will shortly have major ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal tenure as the head coach lasted just over four months in the early part of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

Another element was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. Rangers’ obvious short stature against the Italians looked worrying. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire his team in front. The visitors without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable results in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated first-half the ball thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a raucous place on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break started against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, the director. A pair of displays, obviously menacing in message, showed the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh so far but there is a rebellious mood in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; The team’s management is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until the full-back was presented with a chance from close range which he somehow lifted and on to the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams resulted in this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and strong enough of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.