🔗 Share this article

There was impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now lost a club record seven continental matches consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. Yet, the match was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain anchored at the bottom of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have eyes again on making proper impact. Their only regret here was in not delivering a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a point that will shortly have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the manager lasted just over four months in the initial phase of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s glaring short stature against the visitors looked ominous. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire his team in front. A Roma team without the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in this campaign, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

Roma controlled opening period possession from that point. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period started against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman 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 this club. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; The team’s leadership is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s best period of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, difficult to determine Roma’s continued attacking motivation until the full-back was given a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and on to the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.