Soulé along with Pellegrini on target as AS Roma overpower Rangers
There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a obvious gulf in quality between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now suffered defeat in a team 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 match was settled as a contest at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the bottom of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have eyes again on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a result that truly reflected men against boys.
Surprisingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will shortly have major consequences.
Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s dismal tenure as the head coach continued for just over four months in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.
A further factor was far more striking as the sides lined up. The home team’s obvious short stature against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger burst forward to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team without the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.
The Ibrox side could have levelled matters immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive striker but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.
Roma controlled opening period possession thereafter. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came 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 finish. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being outclassed.
After the break began against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the top 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 thinks about the situation. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a takeover of Rangers. Fans have not turned on the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unimpressive.
Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to gauge the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until the full-back was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and on to the bottom of the bar.
That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were involved. The series of substitutions from both teams resulted in this game closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, reached the stage of making up the numbers.
