ESCAPING FROM A PAINFUL PAST
Jack is embracing the Gerrard era at Ibrox and leaving the memories of a nightmarish start at Rangers behind him
RYAN JACK’S desire to focus on the future is understandable. For the Rangers midfielder, considering the recent past is likely to summon only feelings of frustration and injustice.
Relaxing before another sweltering training session at the club’s pre-season boot camp in Spain, Jack spoke enthusiastically of making a fresh start. One he hopes will be free of the issues that scarred his debut campaign at Ibrox.
Sent off four times during the space of 21 appearances in which he often impressed, the 26-yearold saw two of those red cards rescinded on appeal. It was, therefore, the bitterest of ironies when the ‘shocking’ challenge from Motherwell defender Cedric Kipre that led Jack into six months of rehabilitation wasn’t even deemed worthy of a free-kick.
The knee-ligament damage sustained that December evening provided a painful and premature end to a season that had started with a totally different brand of anguish: Progres Niederkorn.
Jack played all 90 minutes of the infamous 2-0 defeat against Luxembourg’s fourth-best team early last July. The worst result in Rangers’ long European history, it also marked the beginning of the end of Pedro Caixinha’s hapless tenure. Credibility could not be recovered before the Portuguese coach was sacked last October.
By the time Graeme Murty suffered a similar fate last month, Jack was nearing the end of his recovery period. He is determined to do what he can to ensure the Steven Gerrard era at Rangers gets off to a more positive start.
A Europa League qualifier against FK Shkupi of Macedonia on July 12 will be Gerrard’s first competitive game in charge. For Jack, memories of the Progres humiliation will be foremost in his preparations.
‘The players who played in that tie, including myself, will be well aware of what can happen if you are maybe not quite at it or you don’t approach things as well as you should,’ insisted Jack. ‘There is no doubt we had an off night and were punished for it. It just shows that no matter who you are playing against, you’ll get punished if you are not at it.
‘Did that defeat set the tone for last season? Maybe. It was terrible to be involved in. It was a hard one to take. You saw the response of the fans and everyone involved with the club. It was a real kick in the teeth — and the season hadn’t even got going.
‘But that’s football. Things happen and you need to respond to them. We got back to hard work, we went away to England on a trip and it did us a lot of good. We started the season quite well.
‘But there is no doubt it was a gutting time. I came to Rangers thinking we had a great chance of going on and maybe getting to the group stage, which we haven’t done before, but it wasn’t to be.’
Gerrard has spoken of his desire to reach the group stage this time around. It remains a formidable task. Croatian outfit NK Osijek — who beat PSV Eindhoven home and away last season — would be likely second-round opponents.
Beyond then, clubs from England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany could all lie in wait.
‘Every competition you are in, you want to go as far as you can,’ said Jack. ‘I’m sure the manager and coaching staff will let us know what the aims and targets are.’
It is not only in Europe where Rangers have a need to improve. Now seven years without a major trophy, they finished third in the Scottish Premiership last term despite a transfer spend of around £10million. That meant Jack’s former employers at Aberdeen were runners-up to Celtic for a fourth successive season — despite taking just one point from four games against their Ibrox rivals.
In a mouthwatering slice of scheduling, Gerrard’s domestic debut as Rangers manager is at Pittodrie on Sunday, August 5. It provides a chance to set down a marker. ‘That’s the way you have to look at it,’ said Jack. ‘They will be trying to challenge with us this season. ‘There is no better way than if we lay a marker down on the first day. They will be thinking the same so it will be a great fixture to be involved in. ‘The game will be a sell-out. You saw the games last season. For us, it was good. For Aberdeen, not so good. Derek (McInnes) and Tony (Docherty) will have them fired up.
‘They will be letting them know that we got the better of them last season in head-to-heads, but they did better than us in the league over the season.
‘We are keen to do as well as we can in the Europa League but, as soon as that first league game comes, there is no better one to be involved in than Aberdeen against Rangers at Pittodrie.’
Asked about having to target Aberdeen before challenging Celtic, Jack repeated Gerrard’s mantra about getting their own house in order.
‘At times, when we did do well last season, we looked too far ahead,’ he said.
‘We came unstuck a wee bit and it never quite happened.
‘We must still look at ourselves and get ourselves right before we start talking about what we’re going to do.’