Rangers’ slump in domestic form has left many baffled but Ryan Jack is not one for sitting about thinking it over.
The midfielder has been here before with Rangers and knows there is nothing complicated about the solution – hard work, togetherness and belief were the key concepts he referred to as he previewed Sunday’s trip to Ross County.
Such an approach is tried and tested. The 28-year-old kicked off his first season at Ibrox with a European defeat by Luxembourg part-timers Progres Niederkorn, suffered a League Cup semi-final defeat by Motherwell, was sent off four times before Christmas and saw his campaign ended by injury before New Year.
Jack’s return to fitness coincided with the arrival of Steven Gerrard and he quickly earned the trust and admiration of his manager, playing 46 games last season.
The fact that Gerrard chose Jack to sit next to him on Friday while answering questions about his team’s form on the back of two damaging defeats by struggling Hearts and Hamilton was another indication of how highly the boss rates the former Aberdeen skipper.
Jack missed the midweek defeat by Accies after going off injured in a defeat to Hearts for the second time this year and is certain to return for Sunday’s clash in Dingwall as Gerrard looks for an upturn in form after dropping 13 points in 2020 and crashing out of the William Hill Scottish Cup.
When asked if this was the hardest period of his Ibrox career, Jack said: “I don’t know to be honest. There’s been a few hard periods.
“But it’s how you react and how you work on the training pitch day to day. As a group of players we have to stick together with the staff. I am sure they will back us.
“Obviously we are hurting. We are disappointed with the last two results but it’s time for us to knuckle down and work hard and answer up.
“First and foremost we need to work hard on the training pitch and everyone needs to buy into what we are doing and hopefully we can get a performance we are proud of and move on from there.”
Jack will use the same approach to getting out of a sticky period that he has utilised throughout his career.
“Hard work and just believe in what you are doing every day,” he said.
“Just work hard and I am sure things will change.”
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