Adam Rooney netted with a neat flick in the seventy-fifth minute to secure Aberdeen a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Jamie Langfield’s special day. The goalkeeper has certainly divided the opinion of Aberdeen fans throughout the last decade. We decided to take a look at three of the goalkeeper’s finest moments, followed by three we would like to forget.
The goalkeeper’s highlights:
- The 2006/2007 season was probably Jimmy Calderwood’s best season as Aberdeen manager and arguably Jamie’s best as goalkeeper for the club. A relative consistency was shown that implied we had a goalkeeper that would likely be number one for a few years. Strong calm performances were displayed in important league fixtures such as the final day victory over Rangers which secured a third place finish and European qualification.
- Dnipro – Langfield had been benched for the first six matches of the 2007/2008 season before returning to the squad in the 0-0 home draw with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. An important late save from a Sergey Kornilenko effort following a Zander Diamond slip ensured that the Dons went into the away leg in a healthy position. The goalkeeper had done well on his return but it was to be his performance in the away leg which is fondly remembered by Aberdeen supporters. Darren Mackie’s diving header in the first half propelled Aberdeen into the lead and from then on it was backs to the wall. Dnipro surged on the away goal time after time but Langfield made several simply top class saves throughout the full 90 minutes. Not only did the goalkeeper display his adeptness at shot stopping, he claimed numerous cross balls in confident fashion. In the final minutes, Langfield’s performance was epitomised by a fingertip save onto the crossbar. Aberdeen qualified for the group stages as a result of a 1-1 draw and Jamie Langfield was significant in the process.
- Scottish League Cup 2014 – Penalty shootouts are pressurised situations for all players, not to mention the group representing a club who were on the verge of securing a first piece of silverware for almost two decades. Langfield had a smirk on his face which read that he knew exactly where Billy McKay was going to put his opening penalty. A strong save down to his right, piled the pressure on Inverness Caledonian Thistle and was a solid foundation on which Aberdeen built shootout success. The goalkeeper’s post-match comments certainly revealed the elation he experienced that day and undoubtedly captured his love for the club and his teammates.
What about some of the lowlights?
- Aberdeen 1-4 Dundee United (Scottish League Cup Semi-Final, 5th February 2008) – There was cause for much optimism when an Andy Considine goal helped the Dons into the lead but it was undone by the team’s disastrous defensive performance. Significant responsibility had to be placed at the foot of Langfield’s door for three of the four goals. The goalkeeping performance from this rainy February night in 2008 is perhaps an example of the issue many Aberdeen fans have taken with Langfield. Dundee United’s second came from a corner which was the result of a sliced clearance by Aberdeen’s goalkeeper. The third occurred when a lack of communication defensively allowed Craig Conway to skip past Langfield and finish. Morgaro Gomis then put the cherry on top for the Arabs as Langfield was put under pressure by a Scott Severin back pass. The story does not finish there, however, as the goalkeeper inexplicably tried to dribble past Gomis before being dispossessed for a tap in.
- Celtic 1-0 Aberdeen (4th August 2012) – To get a result at Parkhead, every player needs to understand their role while maintaining a consistent work rate and level of concentration for the full 90 minutes. This seemed to be the case on the opening day of the 2012/2013 season as the team was well organised by Craig Brown and limited Celtic to a few chances throughout the match. However, in the 79th minute Kris Commons’ tame effort on goal outfoxed the Dons goalkeeper as it trundled through his arms at his near post. The goalkeeper’s reaction was slow as Celtic were gifted the goal which would secure three points.
- Hamilton 3-0 Aberdeen (17th October 2014) – Hamilton played with an intensity and pace that troubled Aberdeen on this particular Friday night. This would be the game that confirmed that it was time to allow Scott Brown to stake his claim for the number one jersey. Supporters could be forgiven for being envious of the opposition as Michael McGovern made a string of impressive saves, while Langfield’s indecision allowed Dougie Imrie to tee up a simple finish for Tony Andreu. The back four played with a confusion that was arguably provoked by a goalkeeper uncertain of how to organise his defence. It proved to be costly as Hamilton put three past Langfield.
It’s been a fun ten years, Jamie. Here’s to another ten…
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