NO ROOM FOR TERROR
Four points from three games isn’t good enough .. we can’t afford any more scares or slip-ups, admits Jack
It’s one of the reasons Ryan Jack moved from Aberdeen to Rangers – the expectation to win every game.
As a boyhood supporter he knew the scrutiny Pedro Caixinha’s side would come under would be intense.
But just three games into the Premiership season Jack admits there’s already no room for error.
Defeat to Hibs and a stalemate with Hearts at Ibrox have turned up the heat on his gaffer and the squad.
Failure to see off Ross County in Dingwall today will crank it up another notch as they continue to trail the Dons and champions Celtic.
The midfielder knows they haven’t been good enough and expects the supporters to demand a marked improvement in the Highlands.
And he insists he and his teammates are well aware any more dropped points this early on will have a major impact on their ability to compete for honours.
The 25-year-old said: “After every game we look to see how other teams have got on – Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs. We look at every result.
“But for now we can’t have our minds anywhere other than Rangers.
“We’re behind already in the league and there’s no more room for error or slip-ups. It’s about trying to focus on ourselves now and not worrying about what’s happening on the outside.
“Results-wise there’s no getting away from it – to pick up one point from two home games hasn’t been great. But the only answer for it is to work hard and stick together as players and staff.
“I’m sure we’ll get through it. Certain circumstances dictated the results against Hibs and Hearts but as a group we know it needs to be better.
“If teams come to Ibrox to sit in we need a plan on how to deal with that better and break them down. That has been frustrating.
“At the start of the season we said it was important to keep winning and keep the fans onside.
“But the last two games haven’t been good enough. We have to take the blame for that.”
Despite the ropey start, former Dons skipper Jack is thriving on the pressure of performing at Ibrox.
However, he admits when results don’t go their way it’s impossible to brush off the disappointment.
He said: “Of course it affects you. You come in, train hard Monday to Friday just to try to get in the team.
“If you then don’t win on the Saturday you go home and all you think about is the game and what has happened. On the Sunday you’re still thinking about it until you get back to work on Monday to tackle the next challenge that lies ahead.
“If you win there’s no better feeling but if you lose there’s no worse one. It definitely affects me and I’m sure it’s the same for the rest of the players.
“When the next week comes along you see it as a chance to put things right. There’s pressure on every game at Rangers. The manager always gets across there is an expectation to win every match – that’s what comes with playing at a big club.
“It’s a great feeling when you’ve worked hard for 90 minutes and get a result at the end of it.
“As players we have to get back to that now and get people onside again. I see enough in training to suggest we can go on a run of wins now.
“We’ve got a group of lads who work so hard and have a great team spirit. That spirit, along with the quality I see every day, gives me hope we can turn this around.” Jack could have moved to MLS side Columbus Crew in the summer when his Pittodrie contract was up. When Rangers came calling, though, there was only one destination for him. The player signed a three-year deal and insists – irrespective of some poor results, starting with a Europa League exit to Progres Niederkorn – he has no regrets over the switch. Jack said: “It has been frustrating because of the start we’ve had, especially the European result. But it’s about looking to the future and I’m optimistic we’ll turn it around with the ability we have.
“There are no regrets for me at all. I always look at life that way – everything I do is about moving on and looking ahead.
“I had the option of going to America when Columbus wanted to sign me. But when Rangers told me they wanted to offer a deal I was more than happy to take that call.
“I’m not sure what the pressure would be like in the MLS but Rangers are a massive club with history, tradition and support.
“You feel that pressure in every game here but it was a great chance to progress my career. I still haven’t spoken to anyone who made the move here from Aberdeen before me. I’ve just kept my head down, worked hard to get in the team and now I need to stay there.”