Former Celtic ace Charlie Nicholas cannot believe Rangers did not replace Allan McGregor with a younger model when Benjamin Siegrist was up for grabs, writing in his Scottish Daily Mail column.
It’s not often a 35-year-old shot-stopper is dropped on the back of some high-profile errors before being replaced by a man five years his senior.
But when Jon McLaughlin’s place between the sticks became somewhat untenable following that humiliating 4-0 Old Firm defeat to Celtic in September, Giovanni van Bronckhorst had no real choice but to go back to 40-year-old Allan McGregor – a man he had dropped only a few weeks earlier – with his tail between his legs.
This is not to say Rangers did not give some consideration to bringing in a new glovesman in the off-season. According to reports, the likes of Martin Fraisl, Jack Butland, Berke Ozer and Vladan Kovacevic were all under consideration. Ditto Siegrist; the Dundee United favourite available on a free following the expiry of his contract.
Rangers’ decision to hand McGregor an extension instead, with the benefit of hindsight, felt like a classic case of kicking a can down the road. Putting off a problem, rather than dealing with it head-on.
Rangers kept Allan McGregor while Celtic snapped up Benjamin Siegrist
“I remember last season, there was some talk of Rangers being interested in Benji Siegrist. If they’d followed up properly, (Siegrist) would be number one at Ibrox now,” Nicholas argues. “Rather than sitting on the Celtic bench.
“I am amazed that Gio van Bronckhorst didn’t go out and get a new goalkeeper. It was the one glaring weakness. And it was shown by Allan McGregor’s awful performance against Liverpool (in the Champions League last week).
“Losing 7-1 was a humiliation the stark reality of where they are.”
McGregor, while still a more than-useful custodian heading towards his 41st birthday, has conceded 12 goals in just three Champions League group-stage games . He also came under fire from some quarters after Stuart McKinstry’s free-kick soared over his head and into the Rangers net during Sunday’s narrow 2-1 win at Motherwell.
Siegrist, meanwhile, has made just one appearance for Celtic since joining the champions in June.
Rangers will surely have to right the wrongs of last summer in 2023, however. McGregor and McLaughlin will have a combined age of 76 by then, after all.
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