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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. Yet, the match was settled as a competition at that stage. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will shortly have huge consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted just over four months in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas 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 sides lined up. The home team’s glaring short stature against the visitors looked ominous. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a corner at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire his team in front. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable performances in the tournament, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half the ball from that point. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; the home team were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period started against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the top executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously sinister in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, the striker was sent through on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, however, hard to determine the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the bottom of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams resulted in this fixture ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of just participating.