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

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. Yet, the match was decided as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an disgrace to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for 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 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire Roma in front. A Roma team minus the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness despite decent performances in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers should have levelled matters immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period the ball thereafter. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, 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 was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, usually a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which met the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the process of being outclassed.

After the break began against a curious atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously menacing in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as meaningful chances were involved. The raft of changes from both teams resulted in this game closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to consider how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the last eight a last year, arrived at the stage of just participating.