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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side handled this journey to Scotland. Without much drama. Roma from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a team record seven continental matches consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely option. Yet, the match was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace 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 the Roman club’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could vie with the best in Europe. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will soon have major ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the initial phase of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential though within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides took the field. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a corner at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock his team ahead. The visitors minus the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness even with reasonable performances in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have levelled matters immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide 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. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half possession from that point. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, obviously menacing in tone, showed the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an low-profile career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, however, difficult to gauge Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was given a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the stage of making up the numbers.