“Rangers are full of pensioners”

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“Rangers are full of pensioners”

One of the most regular insults aimed at Rangers these days is the label of signing ‘pensioners’. That the likes of near-38 year old Clint Hill will not strike fear into the hearts of opponents and Rangers are there for the taking.

But is there any truth to the notion that Rangers are filled with ‘mature’ players and that the market Mark Warburton has had to plunder has been beset with geriatrics?

Let us break down Rangers’ squad and look at the ages of the most significant players in there, and see if age (and fitness) really is a problem for the upcoming season.

Starting in goal, we have 25 year old Wes Foderingham. That age is a baby in goalkeeping years. He is flanked by 34-year old Matt Gilks. In goalkeeping terms that is more than acceptable.

Backline:

Lee Wallace at left back is 29, just turned. His counterparts Lee Hodson (24) and James Tavernier (24) are hardly in the twilights of their careers, while in the middle Danny Wilson is a mere 24, and Robbie Kiernan just one year his senior at 25. Last but not least is Clint Hill, a veteran at 37.

Now we turn to midfield:

Matt Crooks is a miniscule 22, while his fellow holding mid Jordan Rossiter is a baby at 19. Joey Barton adds experience at age 33, and the versatile Andy Halliday is a solid 24.

Niko Kranjcar is still pretty young for an 82-Croatian cap at 31, while Josh Windass is a pipsqueak at only 22, where young Jason Holt himself is still only 23. Harry Forrester makes up the last echelons of the creative chunk of midfield at the ‘ripe’ old age of 25.

Now we move into attack.

Barrie McKay is still only 21, while Martyn Waghorn scrapes into his mid-twenties at 26. Then we have Michael O’Halloran at 25, and Joe Dodoo at a minute 21. Lastly we have the wily head of Kenny Miller at 36.

So…in total Rangers have five players in their entire squad over 30. A squad of circa 20 players, and only a quarter are over three decades old.

Furthermore, of these players the only absolute guaranteed starter when fit appears to be Joey Barton. Even Kranjcar may rotate, and Miller surely will. Hill is unlikely to play every match.

So, let us look at the overall average age of the squad:

26.

Now let us look at the overall age of a very plausible first XI:
Foderingham, Tavernier, Wilson, Kiernan, Wallace, Barton, Rossiter, Windass, McKay, Dodoo, Waghorn:

24.

To suggest Rangers have an aging squad filled with pensioners is hate-filled bile from opposition fans who are scared this young, hungry squad is going to hurt them this season.

But call us what you like, fellas. Does not alter the facts.

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10 COMMENTS

  1. We all know that we are not awash with money. If these older players can still play that's all that matters to me. The older players in some cases help the younger ones to develop. That's what happens in most set-ups. We can no longer buy a team and we can't compete with the prices down south, so we really have to cut our cloth accordingly.

  2. Why do you have to have page justifying our teams age to those fannies for?! Who cares what other people think, fcuk them,, our players will do the talking on the pitch, and thats where it will hurt teams and their fanny supporters where it hurts,,, Good luck Gers, get intae them!!

  3. Yep, not too terrible when you break it down however the number of games played by some of the recruits over the last two seasons does not fill me with confidence, including Rossiter.
    Hill was signed on a one year contract to add solidity and experience to the back line, unfortunately his legs have gone, that's why we now need a replacement because Wilson and Kiernan are unreliable and we can kiss goodbye to any chance of signing Ball as Spurs want a transfer fee for him………….King doesn't do transfer fees.

    • what do u mean king doesen t do transfer fees barton was more than a million and we ve paid out a fortune on the other transfers this season in king we trust

    • Barton was a free agent. He refused a years extension and moved to us for a 2 year deal. I'd love it if he did his talking on the park, I fear he is setting himself up for opposition players to work on his temper and he could spend a fair bit of time watching from the stand.

    • I agree with the earlier poster the number of games played by some over past couple of seasons may be an indicator.

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