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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma 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 outcome. Yet, the game was decided as a contest at that stage. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions again on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures 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 corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is 36, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides lined up. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. The visitors without the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated opening period possession from that point. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the far post of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, usually a boisterous venue on European nights, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the club owner makes of the situation. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on the owner so far but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, hard to gauge the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. This of course suited Roma perfectly. There was cause to consider how on earth the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.