RYAN JACK has vowed Rangers will improve their disciplinary record next season after boss Steven Gerrard was let down by one of his key players once again.
Keeper Allan McGregor became the latest Ibrox stalwart to see red this term after a moment of madness in the closing stages of the win over Hibernian on Sunday.
McGregor will miss the Old Firm clash with Celtic this weekend after aiming a kick at striker Marc McNulty and Gerrard threatened to start hitting his players in the pocket after a twelfth red card of the campaign.
Midfielder Jack hasn’t seen red this term but knows the Light Blues can’t afford to have a similarly wretched disciplinary record next season.
Jack said: “Allan is an experienced player and he’ll know when he’s done something wrong.
“What I will say is, he made a save about five minute earlier that helped get us the result.
“He’s been like that all season. He’s been there for us and made crucial saves time and time again.
“Look, he’s made a mistake and he’ll hold his hands up. He’ll take what he gets.
“We have to. It’s going to cost us otherwise. It’s cost us this season.
“We’ve lost big players at big times. If we don’t try to rectify it and sort the discipline out we’ll be in the same position next season, with red cards and players missing key games.
“Obviously that doesn’t help the fear factor when it comes to the squad.
“We’re reflect on it in pre-season and hopefully next year it will be different.
“We are the players, we need to take responsibility for our actions on the pitch.
“I think we have to look at it and maybe sit down as a squad and talk about how we have missed key players at key times and it has ultimately cost us. Next season we need to cut it out.”
Rangers were heading for a relatively routine Premiership victory after Jermain Defoe scored his eighth goal of the campaign late in the first half.
McGregor made a terrific save from Florian Kamberi just seconds before his act of stupidity and midfielder Ross McCrorie had to take over between the sticks for the closing stages.
Neither manager any had complaint about the red card incident and striker McNulty was surprised to pick up a yellow from referee Bobby Madden for his part in the flashpoint.
He said: “It was just one of those things. I was just being a bit of a nuisance and there was obviously a coming together between the two of us.
“I turned away and jogged on and the referee pulled it back. For me, the most surprising thing was that I was penalised in it all and given a booking. I do that every week, just standing in front of the keeper and making a nuisance of myself. All strikers do that to keepers.
“I never actually touched him or touched the ball. I said to the ref: “What have I actually done wrong?”
“The ref told me that I had stuck my leg out, but I didn’t. So it was surprising that he ended up booking me for it.”
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