When Ryan Jack was an Aberdeen player there was no bigger game than when Rangers came to town. And he’s convinced that it’s no different now for the current crop at Pittodrie.
So when Jack returns to the Granite City again on Tuesday, he’ll be under no illusions about what’s required to leave with three points. It will be Michael Beale’s first trip north as Gers boss and – even this early in his Ibrox tenure – he can’t afford any slip-ups.
His side currently sit nine points behind Celtic at the top of the Premiership table and if anything is dropped against the Dons there will surely be no way back. Beale will rely on an experienced head like Jack, who spent seven years at Aberdeen before moving to Glasgow in 2017. The Scotland midfielder will get his usual abuse from the home fans on Tuesday night but insists he thrives on the fixture.
Jack knows it’s the Dons’ most important game of the season and expects a tough encounter against Jim Goodwin’s men. He said: “It’s going to be a tough test for us, it always is. That’s not just for me but for the whole team because Aberdeen make it difficult for us.
“It’s their biggest game but we just need to make sure we’re focused and ready to go. You have to relish it. In football you can’t shy away from hard games.
“Every player here knows that going to Pittodrie, you’ll need to give 110 per cent to get a result. That’s just the way it is and I’m sure everyone will do that and we can get another win. When I was at Aberdeen it was always built up as the biggest game, one million per cent.
“For the supporters and the manager at the time, it was our biggest game. We always wanted to go and prove a point.
“We know that’s not going to change for us so we need to match their intensity on Tuesday. If we do I’m sure it will be enough. Every game for us is massive now because we’re behind in the league and there are two cups we want to win.
“We can’t afford to drop anything, we all know that – it’s not exactly rocket science. We’re behind and chasing. So we need to try and be perfect in the next five games, then we’ll see what comes after that.
“The manager has been big on isolating every game, putting all our concentration into each one. If we do that, I’m sure we’ll do alright.”
Aberdeen want to be Scotland’s third force this season or even try to split the Old Firm at the top. At home they’ve impressed since Goodwin took over with summer signings Bojan Miovski, Ylber Ramadani and Duk all impressing.
Jack knows what they’re capable of but hopes Rangers’ quality can shine through. He said: “They’re a good side, no doubt. I’ve watched highlights of their games and they’re a very good team. I’ve played with the likes of Ross McCrorie here so I know what they can bring.
“It will be tough for us but we have to go there and show our footballing ability. If we show our personality up there then we can go and win the game.”
Jack believes he improved as a player when Beale was last at Ibrox as a coach under Steven Gerrard. And he claims just hearing his voice again on the training pitch has given the players a lift.
Jack is convinced that if Beale can implement new ideas and get the squad on board, Rangers can still enjoy success this term. The midfielder said: “He has been great so far. As players, it has been good to listen to his voice again.
“He’s brilliant around the training ground because his ideas on football are top notch. We need to buy into it. It’s going to be different to the last set of staff.
“So there is maybe going to be a period when it’s not all plain sailing and straight away we adapt again. But since he has come back the training has been top, in terms of the intensity he wants us to play it. We just need to keep that going.”
READ NEXT
