There was admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers side that has now lost a club record seven European games in a row.
To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely option. However, the game was settled as a contest by then. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of this standing. Roma have eyes once more on making proper impact. Their only regret here was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.
Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second European joust with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will soon have huge ramifications.
Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach lasted 123 days in the early part of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; Röhl is 36, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.
Another element was far more striking as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a corner at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock Roma in front. A Roma team minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness despite reasonable results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.
Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide 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 physical attributes to be an effective centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to use them.
Roma dominated first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. Ibrox, typically a raucous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were simply in the process of being outclassed.
The second period began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unconvincing.
Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the game, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, however, difficult to determine Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and on to the underside of the crossbar.
That was it as far as meaningful opportunity was concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams meant this game closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited Roma fine. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, finalists in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of making up the numbers.
