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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a glaring difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the game was decided as a contest at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only Roma’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly spell as the manager continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams lined up. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the near post. At the back, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team ahead. A Roma team minus the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in this campaign, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers could have levelled matters instantly. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s £8m signing from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an effective striker but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled opening period possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the far post of Jack Butland’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, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes before the break. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, obviously menacing in message, depicted the pair with targets on their faces. It raises questions what the club owner thinks about all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to determine Roma’s remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The series of substitutions from each side meant this fixture closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited Roma perfectly. There was cause to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of just participating.