Ryan Jack believes Rangers can go the distance so long as they continue emptying the tank like they did against Napoli.
The Ibrox outfit spluttered to a stop after conking out against the Serie A leaders, with James Sands ’ red card leaving them on fumes for the final half hour. Luciano Spalletti’s side were able to roar away to claim a 3-0 win but Jack took encouragement from the display after seeing his side finally click through the gears to produce their best 45-minute display of the campaign so far during a breathless first half at Ibrox.
Rangers may have run out of gas in the end but the Scotland midfielder had plenty of fuel for thought after revealing his side had held crisis talks in the wake of dismal defeats to Celtic and Ajax. He said: “We have obviously had meetings back at the training ground. The last two results haven’t been good enough and we have all had to look in the mirror, myself included.
“Wednesday night was an opportunity for us in front of our fans to go and get a positive result. We haven’t managed to do that but it was clear to see that everyone was giving their all and ran ourselves into the ground.
“Hopefully going forward that is the benchmark for us as a squad and as a team when everyone on the pitch can empty the tank. When you do that, more often than not, you will get the result.”
Jack has experienced the full gamut of emotions during his five years in Govan. There was catastrophe under Pedro Caixinha, the pain of missing out on title joy with Steven Gerrard because of injury and the rollercoaster ride that Gio van Bronckhorst led the club on last year to Seville and Scottish Cup success.
Three successive pastings have sent the team into another gloomy pit of despair but Jack knows from past experiences that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. He said: “I have been here for a number of years now and through tough times and tough results.
“There is always a drama when you lose two on the bounce and three on the bounce. It is unheard of for us and as players you have to front it up and take that responsibility. You don’t get the time to feel sorry for yourself or feel down, you have got to analyse what has gone wrong and go put it right on the pitch. You see that is what these fans and this club demands so the players have to meet that demand.
“Is the scrutiny a shock to the new boys? I think it is not just the new boys. For us, last season we went on that run in the Europa League and we won the Scottish Cup at the end of the season. Maybe you think everything is good and well.
“Then you have a couple of bad results and it knocks you back in your place and sets you back to basics if you have got carried away or lost your way a bit. As players, we had to front it up, the responsibility is on us and when we go on the pitch we have to answer that. I have always said that there are dark times in football and tough times in football. It is part and parcel of the game.
“Look, it is hard right now to take in and take any sort of satisfaction. We have played two (Champions League) games and lost 4-0 and 3-0 so, right now, you are on a downer and it is hard to see any positives.
“But when we look back and analyse that 60 minutes, there will be positives to take. With the double-header against Liverpool coming up, we can use that as our benchmark of what we need going forward.”
Allan McGregor rolled back the years with a performance that raises all manner of questions about his manager’s decision to replace him as No.1 with Jon McLaughlin. Former Ibrox ace Allan Hutton believes it’s now time for van Bronckhorst to admit he got that one wrong and reinstate the 40-year-old on a permanent basis, even when McLaughlin returns from the knock that kept him out on Wednesday.
That’s a question only the boss can answer but all Jack knows is McGregor will be ready when called upon. He said: “I am delighted for him. He has been No.2 so far this season and Jon has been in the team. Jon picked up an injury, which is unfortunate, but you could see what Allan can bring. He is a big- game player and I have seen it on many occasions playing with him. Nights like these are what he thrives on.”
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