In the grand tradition of teams looking to start afresh, we find Rangers, birthed anew in 2012 only to secure tenancy at the same old Ibrox Stadium in Scotland, no doubt for reasons of maintaining the illusion of continuity. A poignant reminder that looks can be deceptive, which is a valuable lesson in football and life.
Rangers’ playing lineup, starring all of 29 players, sprouts an average age of 25, presumably because anyone older might start reminiscing about "the good old days". And we wouldn't want that, would we?
These sprightly players supposedly carry a total market value of around £87m, that is of course, if you believe the word of Transfermarkt. It's good to know that even in this unpredictable world of football, someone somewhere has finally nailed down that elusive exact science of talent valuation.
It's been a busy season for Rangers, imprudently stabbing at glory on four different fronts. They're presently languishing in the Premiership at 4th place, taking time out of their schedule to occasionally impersonate a competitive football team. They've managed to reach the semi-finals in the League Cup, probably reassuring to fans that they haven't entirely forgotten where the goal is. And then, of course, there are the foibles of their Champions League qualifiers escapades - just shy of qualifying, but a valiant effort in the 'almost' category. To round off this tour de mediocrity, we find them slogging it out in the Europa League's League Phase, for want of anything better to do.
