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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a club record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the match was settled as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on making proper impact. Their only regret here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will shortly have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal tenure as the head coach lasted 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the Italians looked worrying. 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 in front. A Roma team without the unavailable their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness even with decent results in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers could have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an effective striker but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma dominated first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, usually a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; the home team were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, obviously menacing in message, showed the pair with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the club owner makes of the situation. After all, the chairman had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner yet but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was given a chance from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side meant this fixture ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the point of making up the numbers.