🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed impressive effectiveness about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the match was decided as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a point that will soon have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for just over four months in the early part of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. That concern was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to knock Roma in front. The visitors without the unavailable their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in this campaign, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes before the break. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were subdued; Rangers were clearly in the process of being outclassed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious mood around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; The team’s management is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, however, hard to gauge Roma’s continued offensive intent until the full-back was given a chance from close range which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in 2022 and strong enough of the last eight a last year, reached the point of just participating.