James McFadden has told Sky Sports (broadcast on 2/2; 21:56) that Ryan Jack was the one positive for Rangers in their Old Firm defeat, insisting that the Ibrox stalwart played really well in the loss.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men have been knocked off top spot in the Scottish Premiership. And in truth, they were embarrassed by Celtic, particularly in the first-half.
Rangers were 3-0 down at the break. They had produced some awful defending along the way. And they rarely looked like getting back into the game while it was in the balance.
Unsurprisingly, van Bronckhorst made three changes at the break. Jack was one of those to come on, along with Leon Balogun and Fashion Sakala.
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The scoreline was goalless in the second-half. Obviously, Celtic did not need to be anywhere near as intense to ensure that they got the win. But Rangers did look more threatening.
Sakala tried his best to drive the side forward. Meanwhile, Allan McGregor was given a lot less to do after the break. But it did appear to be the introduction of Jack that made the biggest difference.
The 29-year-old brought some control in the middle of the park. And he actually came closest to scoring for the visitors. His long-range effort smashed into the bar after beating Joe Hart.
And following the game, McFadden insisted that Jack was the one who could be happy with his performance from a Rangers perspective.
“The challenge now is for Rangers,” he told Sky Sports. “Because at times tonight, I felt as though they were really soft. And they were miles off it.
“Ryan Jack coming on, I think he played really well. He could be a positive, but Rangers were miles off it tonight.”
Ryan Jack definitely a positive for Rangers as he makes biggest contribution this season
It has been a hugely frustrating season for Jack personally. Before Wednesday, he had only made three Scottish Premiership appearances for the Gers this season. And he had not yet been on the pitch for longer than 20 minutes.
So getting 45 minutes in his legs at Parkhead is certainly a positive – albeit a small one right now.
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