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It's probably no bad thing that Danny Rohl seems to have a vat of goodwill to dip into as he tries to get Rangers moving in the right direction. You suspect he’s going to need every drop of it in the coming months.
Whatever minor consolations the German could take from the performance of his players in the loss to Celtic on Sunday, there were precious few on show here.
Overrun and outplayed from the moment a slick Roma side got to grips with the task at hand, Rohl’s men simply didn’t do enough to prevent themselves from sliding to another defeat.
Notwithstanding the calibre of the opponent they faced, that’s now three losses in five games at the outset of his tenure. The improvements in the side haven’t yet extended to knowing how to get the job done.
Without a single point from their four opening Europa League matches, Rangers arrive at the midway point in the embarrassing position of propping up the 36-team group.
To be routed in the Champions League is one thing. For it to happen in one of the weaker tournaments is another matter altogether.
Rangers manager Danny Rohl has now lost both of his European matches in the dugout
Matias Soule headed Roma into an early lead after getting on the end of a Bryan Cristante flick
The Italians doubled their advantage before the interval through captain Lorenzo Pellegrini
While they aren’t arithmetically yet eliminated — three sides qualified with 10 points last year — they’ll need to pull off a Houdini-like act of escapology to make it to the knock-out rounds. On this evidence, they are already done for.
Rohl has arrived with enthusiasm and plenty of fresh ideas. You can see why Rangers supporters are prepared to give him a chance.
The trouble is that he’s having to make do with the same players who failed so abjectly under Russell Martin. Too many of them simply aren’t up to the task. They seem scarred by what’s gone before.
Rohl’s got no option but to hang in there until January and hope that Kevin Thelwell recruits some footballers with far greater ability than the bunch he brought to Glasgow in the summer. Right now, that feels like it’s an age away.
Four days on from the crushing extra-time defeat to Celtic at Hampden, Rohl changed both his personnel and where they were deployed.
With Derek Cornelius dropping out, James Tavernier fell into the back-three. Max Aarons, Connor Barron, Mikey Moore and Djeidi Gassama were reintroduced at the expense of Mohamed Diomande, Danilo and Thelo Aasgaard.
Roma were missing their talisman in Paulo Dybala, but in his fellow Argentinian Matias Soule they were still able to call upon their top scorer. How he’d make Rangers suffer.
The experience they boasted on the sidelines was extraordinary. Their manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, won this tournament with Atalanta in 2024.
Gian Piero Gasperini is targeting more Europa League glory after lifting the trophy with Atalanta
Just for good measure, Claudio Ranieri, Leicester’s miracle man and now an adviser with the Italians, sat in the stand.
As intriguing as this game was, there was a nagging sense that the priorities of both sides lay elsewhere.
Without a Scudetto since 2001, Gasperini’s side are only a point off the pace in Serie A. Perhaps this could be their year.
Rohl also has a lot of work to do if Rangers are to claw their way back into the Scottish title race.
One of the highlights of the night came before a ball was kicked. A giant tifo was unfurled at one end showing a gladiator bearing a Rangers shield preparing for battle in the Colosseum. The hope of the home fans was that Rohl’s men were also up for the scrap.
They actually started like they meant business. Compact and organised, they initially gave little away.
They looked comfortable in possession. When Moore dropped a shoulder and beat his man, Rohl signalled his approval.
Just when it looked like Rangers were beginning to warm to the task, they fell behind.
This latest sobering defeat extended Rangers' losing run in Europe to seven matches
The concession of the corner which led to the opener was poor with neither Jayden Meghoma or Nasser Djiga taking command of the situation. But what followed was worse.
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s out-swinger was asking for a man in blue to be assertive. None were.
Bryan Cristante flicked it on. Lurking five yards out, Soule finished the half-chance like the deadly marksman he is.
It stung Rohl’s side and deflated the crowd. Within a few minutes, Soule had brushed off two weak tackles and tested Jack Butland.
The next set-piece saw Mario Hermoso fire another free header over the top. It was starting to feel ominous.
A rare lapse in concentration by the Italian defence gave Youssef Chermiti an unwarranted look at goal. The forward’s first touch was good. His shot was typically wayward, flying beyond the far post.
The visitors looked far more likely to net a second than Rangers were to equalise. John Souttar did well to stretch out a leg to deny Artem Dovbyk a clear run on goal.
In the blink of an eye, though, the Scotland defender switched off and the Italians were celebrating again.
Youssef Chermiti was unable to capitalise on decent chances either side of the half-time break
Gianluca Mancini’s cross from the right caught Souttar out of position. Unable to get the ball back off Dovbyk, he watched on in horror as Pellegrini appeared on the scene unmarked.
Dovbyk’s simple lay-off was met with a sweet left-foot strike which nestled in the bottom corner.
Rangers were now getting the runaround. As gloomy as the picture was at the break, it could have been worse. Another cheap turnover ended with Soule sending a curler narrowly wide.
Rohl introduced Aasgaard for the ineffective Meghoma at the break and switched to a back four.
There were some moments of promise. Chermiti and Nico Raskin had efforts saved. Moore, by far the best man in the home ranks, dragged a strike just wide.
Rangers asked some questions. But Roma had all the answers.
Nothing summed up the plight of Chermiti more than the chance he spurned as Rangers finally exerted some pressure.
Played in by Moore, he meekly dumped the ball in the side net. When he finally succeeded in working the keeper, Mile Svilar stooped and saved as if he was tying his shoelaces.
Thelo Aasgaard dragged an effort wide late on in search of a way back into the contest
Aasgaard’s failure to hit the target from a promising position was in keeping with the theme of the night.
Rangers could count themselves fortunate that Roma were also profligate in front of goal. Zeki Celik’s attempt to convert was almost comically bad. Dovbyk also took far too long before letting fly.
Make no mistake — if the Italians had their shooting boots on, this could have been a mauling.
Braga are next up at Ibrox later this month. That may be the night when Rohl’s side are finally put out of their misery in this competition. Goodness knows they’ve endured been plenty of it this year.
