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There was impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side handled this journey to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the more likely option. Yet, the match was settled as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have eyes once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will shortly have huge consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the sides took the field. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma in front. A Roma team without the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

Roma controlled opening period the ball from that point. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. Ibrox, typically a raucous place on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in message, depicted the pair with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; The team’s management is completely unimpressive.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s best period of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as meaningful chances were involved. The series of changes from each side meant this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. There was cause to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of just participating.