84 SPL clean sheets prove I don't deserve nickname 'Clangers'

[mizer]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jamie-langfield-84-spl-clean-1850533 

 

 

JAMIE LANGFIELD doesn’t care that people nickname him Clangers because he has the clean sheet record to prove he’s ranked among Scotland’s greatest-ever keepers.

 

The Aberdeen goalie shut out Hibs in Monday’s goal-less draw to rack up his 84th clean sheet in the SPL.

 

That is the highest tally of all active goalies currently plying their trade in Scotland’s top flight and Langfield is only bettered in the all-time SPL stats by Allan McGregor, Stefan Klos and Rab Douglas.

 

So when critics poke fun at the high-profile mistakes that have earned him his cheeky nickname, don’t expect Langfield to get worked up about it because he knows he has earned his stripes as a top keeper.

 

Langfield said: “I heard that clean sheet stat last week and it’s quite good to be up there.

 

“Over the years I’ve taken a bit of stick, so it’s great to be up there with Allan, Rab, Artur Boruc and goalies of that calibre. You never know what might happen if I go on for a bit.

 

“Goalkeepers do celebrate clean sheets like strikers celebrate goals, definitely. At least I do.

 

“It’s been an up-and-down season but that was my 12th of the term at Hibs, so for me that’s a great thing. I’m really happy with the way things are going even if it’s disappointing where we are in the league.

 

“The clean sheet record isn’t something I would wave in people’s face or use against the critics.

 

“I’ve taken stick since the very start. But I’ve been eight years at Aberdeen, I’m still playing, still happy, still doing something right.

 

“Maybe in the past I would have taken offence. But I just get on with my football now and thoroughly enjoy it.

 

“If people want to talk about me in a negative way, fine. Some people talk about me in a positive way – and I listen to them.”

 

His new boss Derek McInnes must be among those positive people where Langfield’s concerned because the keeper’s Easter Road show was one of the few highlights from his McInnes’ dug-out debut.

 

McInnes had to be thankful for at least three good Langfield saves that rescued a point from his first game in charge and the 33-year-old keeper hopes to keep impressing.

 

He said: “I had to make a few saves against Hibs and the disappointing thing was that we didn’t work Ben Williams enough at the other end.

 

“But for me and the defence it’s great to keep a clean sheet at a tough place like Easter Road.

 

“It’s great having the new manager in now. I’m thoroughly enjoying working with him and Tony Docherty – and I hope to work with him for years to come.

 

“It’s just about having new voices, a different way of working. They work us hard.

 

“People might think we’re winding down to the end of the season but the manager has made it clear that won’t be accepted. He is stamping his authority on the squad.

 

“The players under contract and the players out of contract want to show we’re up for the challenge they’re putting before us.

 

“So it was good to start with a clean sheet for me. Hopefully that impresses the manager. We just need to create more chances.

 

“My last save on Monday night from Leigh Griffiths was the most pleasing.

 

“You know when Leigh has the ball that he’s going to hit it – you just hope someone closes him down.

 

“At first I actually went the other way and it started to move. The minute it moved, I thought, ‘goal.’

 

“As a goalkeeper, sometimes you just chuck yourself and hope to get it. It’s not lucky but while everyone says it’s a great save, I was just glad it went around the post.

 

“I can assure you, I thought it was in until I got my fingertips on it.”

[tlg1903]

84 shut outs in how many games, thats the stat that matters

 

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

84 shut outs in how many games, thats the stat that matters

 

 

 

Well, it's roughly over 10 per season.

 

Given some of the bangers he's had in front of him, that isn't bad.

 

Our inability to score is generally a more debilitating stat. 

[RDU_64]

Mini skirts.

[RedTilIDie1903]

His Wiki says he has played 239 games making it a 35% clean sheet to game ratio. Not too bad!

[Tyrant]

New keeper plz.

[BigAl]

No denying the fact that it is a pretty handy record HOWEVER, the fact that matters to me, is his record of bottling the big occassion and also the fact that when he fucks up it is normally a monumental fuck up.

 

In short, still not good enough

[manc_don]

No denying the fact that it is a pretty handy record HOWEVER, the fact that matters to me, is his record of bottling the big occassion and also the fact that when he fucks up it is normally a monumental fuck up.

 

In short, still not good enough

 

 

Very much this.  His fuck ups (and they are his fuck ups) have cost us god knows how many major games.

[stubo72]

Langfield is not the perfect keeper, but you would have to say that he rescues more defensive howlers by the rest of the team than he makes blunders himself?

 

True, goal-keeping blunders tend to result in a goal being given away, and I've cursed him with the best of us but I'm not sure how many better keepers there actually are in the SPL?

 

I guess it's the fact that they appear to come up most often in 'important' matches that is the worry...