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There was impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their European competition bid on the right path. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers squad that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. However, the game was settled as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have eyes again on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s dismal spell as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a clash of generations; Röhl 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’ obvious lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors without the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable performances in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. 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 productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half the ball from that point. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, usually a boisterous place on European nights, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were simply in the process of being outclassed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in message, depicted the duo with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious feeling around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The series of substitutions from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and strong enough of the last eight a last year, arrived at the point of just participating.