Why Rangers signing Benjamin Siegrist is a low-risk transfer that ticks all the boxes

Out of contract at the end of this season, the Dundee United shot-stopper will be able to move on a free this summer, and he has reportedly attracted interest from clubs in the top two tiers of English football.

Rangers need a goalkeeper, with Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin both in the same boat as Siegrist. Their deals are set to expire, and regardless of what they do next, a new No.1 will likely be a priority for Ross Wilson come the summer transfer window.

McGregor will be 40 years old, while it’s hard to argue that McLaughlin – after two years spent shadowing McGregor – would be an upgrade.

Let go by Aston Villa in his mid-20s, Siegrist has proven himself at Dundee United. But, were he to join Rangers, would he represent an improvement on McGregor, a solid successor, or a squad player?

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Before we try to answer that question and get into the strengths and weaknesses of the player, it’s important to note the differences between goalkeeping for Rangers and another Premiership side.

When it comes to high balls and saves, Rangers would prefer a catch over a punch or parry, regaining possession as opposed to simply clearing lines. There is also a greater expectation that the keeper is comfortable receiving and passing short, to build play from the back rather than going long and contesting for headers and second balls.

Saving Shots

Siegrist’s reflexes are good. Staying on his toes, he is prepared for shots and reacts well to make point-blank stops. When it comes to adjusting position he isn’t as agile or light on his feet as McGregor, but he has a bigger frame and the player we’re comparing him to remains one of the more lithe goalkeepers in Scotland.

While he doesn’t make many mistakes, Siegrist has occasionally had issues getting down to save straight, hard shots along the ground. One squirmed underneath him at Tynecastle recently as Dundee United lost 5-2 to Hearts.

When it comes to 1-v-1 situations, he is proactive and quick to close down the attacker, and generally tries to stay on his feet and narrow the angles. Sometimes he will rush out and go down feet-first, leaving himself open to the chip, but for the most part, he stands up and attempts to impose himself.

The 29-year-old’s handling is decent. He can hold onto shots fired at him in the air, but he does have a bad habit of parrying low shots back into dangerous areas, leading to the potential of follow-up shots and more pressure for his defence to deal with.

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On the whole, Siegrist is a good shot-stopper, but not quite as good as McGregor.

Command Of His Area

At 6ft 4in, Siegrist is four inches taller than McGregor and one inch taller than McLaughlin. He’s also more muscular than both Rangers goalkeepers. His size and frame give him natural advantages when it comes to dealing with high balls into the box, and he couples this with solid positioning and decision-making on when to leave his line.

Siegrist can take the pressure off his defence temporarily (with a punch to clear) or completely (with a catch to regain possession). He is rarely caught out in these situations, primarily because he is proactive. Before the crosses are played he prepares himself, starting from a position that allows him to come out and intercept the high ball, or to retreat, depending on the type of cross played.

It would be inaccurate to describe Siegrist as a ‘sweeper-keeper’. He isn’t quick enough or confident enough to cover the whole space behind a high back line (around the halfway line). However, he is alert to balls over the top and is ready to come out and deal with anything approaching the edge of his penalty box.

When it comes to handling high balls into the box or balls over the top of the defence, Siegrist is probably ahead of McGregor thanks to greater size, physicality, composure and willingness to come off his line. He’s also similarly vocal, constantly in communication with his defenders.

On The Ball

This is probably the biggest acid test of any Premiership goalkeeper hoping to make the leap to Rangers: how comfortable are they in possession? Siegrist ticks most of the boxes. He’s happy to receive back-passes and start the attack with cleanly struck, accurate short passing. As a bonus, he’s capable of playing off his left foot. He can play reasonably well over long-range, too, so diagonals out to the wings are an option.

There are no problems with his goal kicks: he clears the halfway line with ease, precision and consistency. His kicking from hand is a little less consistent; sometimes he gets underneath the ball too much, forgoes distance for height. But again, this doesn’t happen often and isn’t a major issue when it does.

One aspect of Siegrist’s distribution that Giovanni van Bronckhorst will like is that he is always looking to restart play quickly. This Rangers manager is more open to a counter-attacking game than his predecessor, so having a goalkeeper whose first instinct after collecting the ball is to instantly release teammates into space would be a plus.

Conclusion

When comparing Siegrist to McGregor, it’s clear that he is not as good a shot-stopper. However, it could be argued that he makes up for that with a better command of his area. It’s possible that the Dundee United man is a more rounded goalkeeper. He is also a decade younger.

Considering all of this, as well as the fact that he is available on a free, Rangers signing Siegrist makes a lot of sense. He is low-risk, both in terms of not costing a transfer fee and already being settled in Scottish football. At the very least, he would be a good option for van Bronckhorst to have. As for replacing McGregor – that will be a difficult task for anyone that comes in.