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There was impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their European competition bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, Rangers at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. However, the game was settled as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a club of this standing. Roma have eyes 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 represented only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a point that will shortly have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the head coach lasted just over four months in the early part of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the teams lined up. Rangers’ obvious lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. This point was proven within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire his team ahead. A Roma team without the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness despite decent performances in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m purchase 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 dominated first-half the ball thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which met the interval were subdued; the home team were simply in the process of being outclassed.

After the break started against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in message, depicted the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the bottom of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side resulted in this game ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth Rangers, finalists in this tournament in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, reached the point of just participating.