I GOT THE MESSAGE, ALFREDO HAS TO DO THE SAME
Reformed Ryan’s red card warning
IT took time for Ryan Jack to learn the difference between competitive and aggressive. Leaving Aberdeen to join Rangers, the midfielder tip-toed gingerly along a fine line.
Four times in his first season at Ibrox, he tumbled head over heels into trouble.
There were red cards against Hibs, Hamilton and Kilmarnock. After that came the jeers of his fellow Aberdonians when he was sent packing at Pittodrie last December.
Sent off four times in his first six months as a Rangers player, Jack accepted something had to change.
Which might explain why the Ibrox side have had eight red cards this season and the 26-yearold hasn’t received one of them.
‘There is that fine line between being competitive and maybe overstepping the mark,’ claimed Jack yesterday.
‘For myself, couple of times a I overstepped the mark last year, there is no doubt. I hold my hands up. This season, it has been night and day. ‘There could have been a lot of things causing the way it was going last year — but this year has been totally different on the park and off the park. I am really enjoying my football.’ Free of injury, he has collected a modest three yellow cards in 21 appearances this season. When Steven Gerrard warned his players to cut out the red cards which threaten to derail Rangers’ title challenge, Jack seemed to be listening. Others, most notably Alfredo Morelos (left), exhibited signs of selective hearing. ‘I think all the boys are saying to Alfredo that there is that fine line,’ admitted Jack after the Colombian striker received his third red card of the season in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to the Dons at Ibrox. ‘Everyone is saying the same thing.
‘There is that fine line between being competitive and sometimes overstepping the mark.
‘For myself anyway, you always need to go into games with that competitive edge.
‘If you don’t, then you are up against it straight away, especially as a midfielder. So I always start with a competitive edge knowing that, if I do get booked, I’m obviously one late tackle away from going off the park.
‘That leads to suspensions and also killing your team-mates on the night.
‘Alfredo has done brilliantly for us this season. He’s won us so many games this season already.
‘He’s been brilliant to play with and I see a total change in him from last season.
‘We’re definitely sticking with him as a big player for us.’
Veteran defender Gareth McAuley has urged his Rangers team-mates to exhibit some semblance of self-control.
The temperamental Morelos, who is easy to wind up and niggle, is now a target for opponents keen to remove his scoring prowess from the equation as quickly as possible.
‘Alfredo is just as competitive in training, that’s just the way he plays,’ said Jack.
‘He wants to win and even in training, he wants to win.
‘He’s the type of guy you love having in your team because he’s competitive.
‘Sometimes he can overstep the mark, there’s no doubt, but the flip side is that he’s won us so many games this season.’
A strong supporter of the 22-year-old in public, manager Gerrard felt badly let down by the striker’s latest dismissal.
Holding a player summit on the Tuesday morning before the Aberdeen game, the Rangers boss had warned his players to cut out the red cards or risk undermining their own title challenge.
Despite displaying evidence of cloth in their ears against the Dons, assistant manager Gary McAllister insists there were no flying teacups or screaming and shouting in the aftermath on Wednesday night.
‘We don’t think there has been a cause for that at this moment in time,’ he said.
‘I think the line of communication between the players and the dressing room is good. We’d rather talk it through.
‘Steven is an emotional guy. You saw the way we played against Aberdeen. But times are changing. Young people are changing.
‘He’s closer to the changing room in his age group than me. Those days actually don’t exist a great deal now, tea cups and volleys and that stuff.
‘It’s about taking stock and being realistic.
‘We’ve had loads of plaudits, we’ve had some great nights, especially at Ibrox. Aberdeen was a disappointing one.’
The thrill of reaching the summit of the Premiership at this stage for the first time since 2011 proved short-lived.
Dismissing questions over the
team’s mental strength, McAllister was blunt ahead of tomorrow’s trip to face Dundee at Dens Park.
‘My reply to that would be that — knowing the group of players we have worked with since June, from early in the season, some of the monumental games we’ve played in up until now and being backs to the wall in some of them across European ties as well — we think we have good men.
‘Good people. Good senior pros. And there’s a nice mix of players, as well.
‘So this is a disappointing moment but I think we’ve got enough about us in that changing room to put it right on Sunday.
‘Speaking as an ex-player, the best way to get rid of a bad night is to get to the next game as quickly as possible and put it right in Dundee.
‘It’s like everything else. After a poor performance and result, you want to get it out of your system and the best way for us to do that is with a game coming up quickly.’