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There was admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers squad that has now lost a club record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the more likely option. Yet, the match was settled as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have eyes again on making proper impact. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in Europe. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will soon have major consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the visitors looked ominous. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team ahead. The visitors minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have equalised instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled opening period the ball from that point. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, usually a raucous place on European nights, had been quietened nine minutes before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously sinister in message, showed the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner so far but there is a rebellious feeling around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and onto the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The raft of substitutions from each side meant this game closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the point of just participating.