Rangers legends

[Inigo 32,534]

Sandy Jardine was an immense full back. Probably ahead of his time. Read the game brilliant timed his tackles well, and more often than not just guided the player in and took the ball of him. Never panicked and seldom hoofed it up the park, usualy took the easy option pass to the likes of Alex McDonald or our wingers, or just carried it up the park himself, and shot some great goals in major games for us too.

At 26 seconds in his goal is the 2nd best goal I ever saw at Hampden, by the time the video picks him up he had already ghosted past 4 or 5 cellic players starting from well inside his own half.

He had been a midfielder, which why, like Van Brockhurst, he was so composed at full back.

The word I would use to describe him is "elegant" which is quite a tribute to a defender.

He even outclassed Beckenbauer in the 1972 semi.

Not sure who to compare him too, will leave it to someone else to make the comparison.

Great video and descriptions. Music's messing with my head though!

[wully 47,560]

Good to see my name in a Rangers legends thread.

[FernandoR20 2,133]

Davie Cooper - Robben is a good shout although Robben has speed Coops went past players as if they weren't there

Laudrup - I would say Ronaldo for the way he could take on 3 or 4 players a time

Durrant - Lampard both box to box players who could time a run perfectly

Sandy Jardine - My dad says ivanivic of Chelsea is similar hard and effective

Souness - again Roy Keane is a shout

DJ - Hately I would say is comparable

Too young for others but my dad said put messi, ronaldo, Scholes, and Gerrard together and they might match up to one of Baxters boots ha

Great topic really enjoyed talking through that with my old man

[mearns loyal 2,717]

Since i'm quite young compared to alot on here and wasn't lucky enough to be alive/or old enough to see some of the best players to have ever played for us, was just seeing if those who were fortunate enough to see the following players, could compare them to any footballer in the world today, so i can have a good idea of what type of player they were.

Davie Cooper

Brian Laudrup (was abit too young to remember)

Ian Durrant (pre injury)

Sandy Jardine

Graeme Souness

Derek Johnstone

Jim Baxter

John Greig

Cooper - the close skills of Messi but without the pace and goalscoring ability

Laudrup - Iniesta but on the wing

Durrant - Lampard

Jardine - Dani Alves with more composure

Souness - aggression of Keane with the passing ability of Beckham

DJ - John Terry combined with Dzeco (spelling? )

Baxter - Xavi but better and with more arrogance

Greig - Puyol

[TheMotor 2,208]

Good example of Durrant totally dominating a game pre-injury:

Cooper. Special player:

[Fed Up 211]

Great video and descriptions. Music's messing with my head though!

It is far too easy to forget just how good Sandy Jardine was! His pace was amazing - am I remembering correct that he ran in the final of the Powderhall Sprint once? A great runner with the ball and a good eye for goal.

Davie Cooper - just magical with the ball. You must have seen some great footage of him, versus Hertz at Tynecastle, Ilves Tampere and of course Dryburgh Cup Final - all incredible but for me I spent years watching his incredible skill on the left touch line (Govan Stand side) and I still can't figure out how he came towards the ball, one touch and a turn and he was away. Over the years he planted so many full backs on their arse as he bemused them (and me)!

Add Brian Laudrup and Jim Baxter to Coop and you would in my mind have the 3 most skilfully players ever to grace Ibrox - certainly in my time (nearly 50 years).

Colin Stein (my hero as a boy) inside with Derek Johnstone alongside him would score 40 each a season fed by that trio and Gazza running on from midfield would get another 20!

[Inigo 32,534]

It is far too easy to forget just how good Sandy Jardine was! His pace was amazing - am I remembering correct that he ran in the final of the Powderhall Sprint once? A great runner with the ball and a good eye for goal.

Davie Cooper - just magical with the ball. You must have seen some great footage of him, versus Hertz at Tynecastle, Ilves Tampere and of course Dryburgh Cup Final - all incredible but for me I spent years watching his incredible skill on the left touch line (Govan Stand side) and I still can't figure out how he came towards the ball, one touch and a turn and he was away. Over the years he planted so many full backs on there arse as he bemused them (and me)!

Add Brian Laudrup and Jim Baxter to Coop and you would in my mind have the 3 most skilfully players ever to grace Ibrox - certainly in my time (nearly 50 years).

Colin Stein (my hero as a boy) inside with Derek Johnstone alongside him would score 40 each a season fed by that trio and Gazza running on from midfield would get another 20!

Jardine was before my time sadly. He's one of the players I wish I'd seen along with the likes of Baxter, Smith and DJ.

[Corky True Legend 2,682]

Not strictly comparable as they played in different positions but the only player who could be mentioned in the same breath as Slim Jim is Pele.

[gmcf 34,303]

Easier just to describe..

Cooper: Slow but had an effortlessness about his play and kind of like Zidane there was a pleasing aesthetic about his style and posture when he played. He was a bit inconsistent though. On his game a chunkier, less nippy Mata is a good comparison.

Durrant: Thomas Muller before his injury. Perhaps the best player I've seen at Ibrox at making deep, late runs. Kind of like a high quality Phil O'Donnell. After his injury he slowed down a bit and became more of a Trequartista. Durrant after his injury was never given the recognition he deserved. He was hugely important for our 9 in a row team. Before his injury he was even better. Such a difficult player to stop due to his fast, well times runs. This video is one of my favourite ever Rangers goals (1:19:00 onwards). It is a perfect example of what Cooper and Durrant were. Just beautiful (isn't the crowd reaction great too!!! The crowd was much louder back then overall!) Cooper's wee blind reverse pass...

Graeme Souness: Tough one. You don't get too many Sounesses any more. Roy Keane at his best (washing mouth out as we speak) but even better than him. Souness was past his best with us but he was a top class passer of a ball, a clean striker of a ball (scored some great goals), a leader and a brutal enforcer who liked to put it about all in one package. The perfect all round midfielder you would want in your team but would hate to play against. If you get a chance to watch the 'Souness' video that he released when he was at us it gives you a great idea of what he was.

Laudrup: Again 1st_Jans suggestion is pretty good. A taller, more elegant Robben is pretty much Laudrup. Didn't dive as much though. Superb player.

One of my favourite bits about the goal is the way Durranty rubbers Davie Cooper at the celebration - Davie's waiting for a High 5 and ID just runs past him.

To fill in some others - Sandy Jardine was a very athletic full back and could run up and down the wing all day. I would probably describe him more of an elegant type of player.

DJ was an excellent header of the ball . A solid centre half or forward - in fact excellent in both positions - you could always count on him scoring. A big player for us for years.

John Greig - if you watch the first few seconds of ECWC final in 72 - that epitomises JG better than anything I could describe ! Still had one of the best saves seen in a Scottish Cup Final !

Really is difficult to compare them to players of today.