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There was impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the match was decided as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of this standing. The Giallorossi have eyes once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will soon have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides lined up. Rangers’ obvious short stature against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was proven within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder comfortably flicked on a corner at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team minus the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half the ball thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a raucous place on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, showed the pair with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner so far but there is a rebellious mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, however, difficult to gauge Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably lifted and onto the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The series of substitutions from each side resulted in this game closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this tournament in recently and worthy of the last eight a last year, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.