Joseph Lapira

[Manc Irish Wolf]

The thing is though Stan has never seen him play and has no idea how good he is. From that award thing he won no player that won it (going back to 2000) has won a cap for America, bar one fella who only got one.

He trained with Ireland? So Stan has seen him play.

[pete]

He trained with Ireland? So Stan has seen him play.

Are you for real? is this the new selection policy? Pick kids off the street & give them a few days trial with the International Senior team?

I would wager money Staunton never previously saw Lapira play in a competitive match.

Lapira got picked because his uncle works for the FAI or something...

[Docboy]

Lads let's look at it rationally and you'll probably agree that he was included in the hope of attracting a bigger crowd to the game....not that it worked.

[Soper]

Some people might suggest we look at it even more rationally and assume that the manager may be out of his depth

[Dodge]

He trained with Ireland? So Stan has seen him play.

After he was called up. He was called up before anyone in the management team had seen him, and his uncle works in the FAI

If people can't see how thats wrong...

[tetsujin1979]

I would wager money Staunton never previously saw Lapira play in a competitive match.

Lapira got picked because his uncle works for the FAI or something...

Oh, please.
At the start of the thread, from months ago, people were saying that Stan probably never heard of him.
Then he gets called up so people say Stan's probably never seen him play.

Tell you what, I'll take that bet, and if you can prove definitively that Stan has never seen Lapira play soccer, I'll make a donation to any charity of your choice. If you can't, then it's you pay to a charity of my choice.
Put your money where your mouth is.

[OneRedArmy]

well ive been reading about him(obviously no avenue to watch hime) and he's highly rated, whos been scoring goals for fun!!If I scored goals for fun in the Astropark would I deserve a run out for Ireland?

Given we have lots of examples of English Championship level players (take a bow Messrs Connolly and Morrisson) being relatively prolific at club level and not transferring it to the international stage, of what relevance is some kid who is scoring at a level well below the Eircom League?

[Soper]

Gilberto Eire's posts on this have all been quite confused and illogical.

Are you Steve Staunton?

[pete]

Tell you what, I'll take that bet, and if you can prove definitively that Stan has never seen Lapira play soccer, I'll make a donation to any charity of your choice. If you can't, then it's you pay to a charty of my choice.
Put your money where your mouth is.

Usually it is up to the person taking the bet to prove the opposite... btw watching a video his uncle gave Stan does not count...

Nothing to do with the eL but I cannot believe anyone defending Lapira's inclusion in the squad...

:rolleyes:

[fergalr]

Can't see the problem with playing Lapira. It doesn't matter what standard he's currently playing at, but how good he is and what potential he has.

:confused:

So tell me why Lapira deserves a cap more than the any of the players that have played in the eL this season?

Lapira no more deserves a cap than I do.

[Dodge]

Oh, please.
At the start of the thread, from months ago, people were saying that Stan probably never heard of him.
Then he gets called up so people say Stan's probably never seen him play.

Tell you what, I'll take that bet, and if you can prove definitively that Stan has never seen Lapira play soccer, I'll make a donation to any charity of your choice. If you can't, then it's you pay to a charty of my choice.
Put your money where your mouth is.

How can you prove something didn't happen? YOU could try proving it did happen, but short of asking staunton, there's nothing he could do...

[tetsujin1979]

Usually it is up to the person taking the bet to prove the opposite... btw watching a video his uncle gave Stan does not count...

Nothing to do with the eL but I cannot believe anyone defending Lapira's inclusion in the squad...

:rolleyes:

How else was he supposed to see him play, if not on video? Most managers will check out players on video, Stan hasn't had a chance to see him play live, so he brought Lapira into the squad to check him out.

I say you're full of it, and only looking for something to complain about, and I'm calling you on it. You make a tabloid-esque statment like "Staunton never previously saw Lapira play in a competitive match" and you damn well better be able to back it up. Take it or leave it.

For the record, I'm unresolved on whether or not Lapira should have gotten a cap. If he goes on to be a decent player, well then he'll be our decent player, so naah. If not, he got one cap for less than 10 minutes at the end of a nothing friendly that hardly anyone saw anyway, so who will care (see Macken, Butler, Goodman, etc)

[Dodge]

I say you're full of it, and only looking for something to complain about, and I'm calling you on it. You make a tabloid-esque statment like "Staunton never previously saw Lapira play in a competitive match" and you damn well better be able to back it up. Take it or leave it.
Leaving aside your attitude, even you think he hasn't seen him play



How else was he supposed to see him play, if not on video? Most managers will check out players on video, Stan hasn't had a chance to see him play live
Do you honestly believe that any player has been selected for any other european international side without the manager having seen him in person? :rolleyes:

[tetsujin1979]

Leaving aside your attitude, even you think he hasn't seen him play
Maybe not live, but I definitely think Stan has at least seen videos of him.


Do you honestly believe that any player has been selected for any other european international side without the manager having seen him in person? :rolleyes:

Walcott.

[Stuttgart88]

There are some serious cranks around these parts.

It's an end of season tour designed to assess & integrate fringe and young players. Last year Stan was derided for a jolly in Portugal.

If Stan comes away with more knowledge about any of our fringe players then it's worthwhile.

I'd have preferred to have seen some other players tried but by and large I'm happy with this trip and what it achieves.

Good on ya Qwerty & Tets and the rest of you.

[lofty9]

Who gives a toss if he saw him play or not. If he turns out to be any sort of player, Stan will have done an excellent bit of poaching from the USA. IMO an excellent move by Staunton and he should be credited for acting on information given to him. No point thinking in 5 years time that Lapira was the one that got away.

[Risteard]

Maybe he's at the standard where a few eL teams could have a look at him?

[RogerMilla]

he was invited to train with the team , stan obviously saw something he liked in training and brought the lad on near the end to try and win the game. I have no problem with this at all , anyone who does really hasnt got a lot to worry them.

[Soper]

My problem is with people saying how great it is that he played, yet castigating the selection of Gamble as if he is some special case

[Stuttgart88]

people...castigating the selection of Gamble as if he is some special case Who said this?

[Soper]

Well, in another thread a Galway fan of some description was saying how it made a mockery of the squad that he was selected. I will try to find the post now.

Found it - http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=691965&postcount=206

[geysir]

Well, in another thread a Galway fan of some description was saying how it made a mockery of the squad that he was selected. I will try to find the post now.

Found it - http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=691965&postcount=206
If you have a problem with one person, fine, but don't generalize.
The vast majority on this forum welcomed Gamble's inclusion and were keen to see him play and play well.

It's just the same old stuff being recycled against Stan. As is said in the North, some people would get out of bed at 7am just to be offended. As McCarthy said once, whining like a bunch of women in a washeteria.

[Manc Irish Wolf]

Jesus, a few causual beers at lunch and I come back to this furore.

Dodge - "He was called up before anyone in the management team had seen him, and his uncle works in the FAI" - He wasn't called up, but asked to train having been recommended, getting the nod after the management obviously saw something in him. So what if his uncle works for the FAI - he won't play regularly if he's not good enough.


FergalR - "So tell me why Lapira deserves a cap more than the any of the players that have played in the eL this season?" - I'm not saying that he does, however players are called up in such friendlies based upon their potential ability - which having had a look at hime, Stan obviously thinks he has. I would be more than happy to see players like O'Donovan & Gamble get the chance to prove themselves that they deserve, however the exceptional circumstances in this instance is that players like Lapira (like Dixon) have the option to represent other countries - so if they are adjudged to be any good, we need to poach them while we can.

[Soper]

If you have a problem with one person, fine, but don't generalize.
The vast majority on this forum welcomed Gamble's inclusion and were keen to see him play and play well.

It's just the same old stuff being recycled against Stan. As is said in the North, some people would get out of bed at 7am just to be offended. As McCarthy said once, whining like a bunch of women in a washeteria.

I wasn't generalizing, I said my problem was with people commending Lapiras cap, yet at the same time, moaning about Gambles. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough.

[geysir]

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enoug

People as in many, person as in one.

[Soper]

I just know Plastic Paddy is going to post something in a similar vein soon enough, so I was really using my psychic ability in using 'people'.

[OneRedArmy]

I still don't understand the selection.

If we accept the fact he has done nothing of note to merit selection and assume that he was selected on the basis he was young and has potential, then he still falls within a large group of Irish qualified players (some indeed Irish!!) who are also young and have potential to become a decent footballer.

But they key point is that selection from within this distinct pool of young, developing footballers should be based on merit and Lapira, based on his achievements to date and the level he plays at is nowhere near the top of this pool.

Thats why his selection raises eyebrows and when you add in his family links to the FAI its no wonder people are adding two and two together and assuming the FAI decided to save a transatlantic airfare.

[geysir]

assuming the FAI decided to save a transatlantic airfare.There is also the saving of a match fee to be considered.

[paul_oshea]

maybe its simply a case then that there was room in teh squad, he is based in america, we dont play in america that often, it would give him a chance to shine and to train with professional players, and its an awful long way for a player to come all the way from america just for a friendly in ireland or europe just to check out his ability...whilst there was can check out his ability in training...nothing lost nothing gained, if he isnt good enough then say bye bye...obviously staunton saw something he liked in training and gave him his chance on wednesday....Nothing is lost by giving him his chance now, plenty of time for said EL players to get their chance. I am 100% sure that lapira wouldnt have got this call up if we were playing a friendly in england/denmark/brazil/russia for example.

[Stuttgart88]

Of course it had absolutely nothing to do with the convenience of taking a prolonged close look at a prospect that would be difficult to do in other circumstances, and nailing his colours to the mast definitively while at it.

It was all about saving an air fare and making a bloke in the FAI feel good.

I've no problem with it.

[OneRedArmy]

maybe its simply a case then that there was room in teh squad, he is based in america, we dont play in america that often, it would give him a chance to shine and to train with professional players, and its an awful long way for a player to come all the way from america just for a friendly in ireland or europe. Nothing is losed by giving him his chance now, plenty of time for said EL players to get their chance. I am 100% sure that lapira wouldnt have got this call up if we were playing a friendly in england/denmark/brazil/russia for example.
......which makes a mockery of being capped for Ireland.

Why didn't they just raffle a place in the squad on ebay to the highest bidder?

[paul_oshea]

no not if he saw something of promise in training. read it again.

by letting him train he was getting a first hand look at the player. Yes playing him for Ireland just for the sake of it would have been wrong but he got to see him in 4 days build up.

[OneRedArmy]

no not if he saw something of promise in training. read it again.

by letting him train he was getting a first hand look at the player. Yes playing him for Ireland just for the sake of it would have been wrong but he got to see him in 4 days build up.
Make up your mind!

Either it was a selection of convenience/jobs for the boys or he's there on merit.

[paul_oshea]

training was convenience/handiness/get a look etc.

squad that was there for the match on wednesday, merit, from stauntons perspective at least.

Somewhere in between stuts 1st and 2nd line of his last post.

[Stuttgart88]

Why didn't they just raffle a place in the squad on ebay to the highest bidder?Wouldn't that be an auction?

[cavan_fan]

But they key point is that selection from within this distinct pool of young, developing footballers should be based on merit and Lapira, based on his achievements to date and the level he plays at is nowhere near the top of this pool.

Thats why his selection raises eyebrows and when you add in his family links to the FAI its no wonder people are adding two and two together and assuming the FAI decided to save a transatlantic airfare.

Another factor is whether he is elgible for anyone else, imagine if somene had had the foresgiht to cap Steven Gerrard at 15! It's unfair on young Irish players but it's in the best interests of the success of the Irish team.

[drinkfeckarse]

Would he have been capped had the tournament been on these shores? No. Plain and simple and that in itself disrespects the value of playing for Ireland.

He got capped because of a "ahh sure we're here now" attitude.

I have no issue with how good he is/isn't, I'm just angered at the amateurish way he came about getting a cap.

Dodge, I'm sure I remember Staunton saying that Alan "ahh sure he's fast" O'Brien had been recommended to him to by someone, so that would make it 2 players that Stan hasn't seen previously that have ended up getting caps. Unreal.

[dr_peepee]

It was all about saving an air fare and making a bloke in the FAI feel good.

The most sarcastic Priest in Ireland!!!!!:D

[OneRedArmy]

Wouldn't that be an auction?Fair point!:o

[DmanDmythDledge]

Maybe not live, but I definitely think Stan has at least seen videos of him.
Similar to the "videos" he saw of Alan O'Brien on Sky Sports News probably.


no not if he saw something of promise in training. read it again.

by letting him train he was getting a first hand look at the player. Yes playing him for Ireland just for the sake of it would have been wrong but he got to see him in 4 days build up.
If he was anyway impressed by him he would have given him more than a few minutes at the end of the game.

[cavan_fan]

Would he have been capped had the tournament been on these shores? No. Plain and simple and that in itself disrespects the value of playing for Ireland.

He got capped because of a "ahh sure we're here now" attitude.

I have no issue with how good he is/isn't, I'm just angered at the amateurish way he came about getting a cap.

Dodge, I'm sure I remember Staunton saying that Alan "ahh sure he's fast" O'Brien had been recommended to him to by someone, so that would make it 2 players that Stan hasn't seen previously that have ended up getting caps. Unreal.

And St Ledger I think

[paul_oshea]

If he was anyway impressed by him he would have given him more than a few minutes at the end of the game.

not if he was more impressed by the 15 before him.

[DmanDmythDledge]

not if he was more impressed by the 15 before him.
That's irrelevant IMO. What's the point in bringing someone on for the last 5 minutes or than just for the sake of it?

[Ordinary Fan]

It's just another stunt from Stan and unfair on the likes of Garven or Whealen who were ignored.

Whiz Alan O'Brien will probaly start on Saturday just to prove that Stan is right and Newcastle wrong.

[Stuttgart88]

I've never seen Lionel Messi play live. He mustn't be any good.

[Soper]

Lionel Messi plays for Barcelona. Lapira plays for a US collegiate team.

[DmanDmythDledge]

I've never seen Lionel Messi play live. He mustn't be any good.
And if you were the Argentina national coach you wouldn't have seen him play live if you were considering him for selection?

[geysir]

Mockery, I have seen Dunphy in a green shirt, the rest pales in comparison.
Jason O'Brien's first cap, a 10 second cameo, was a sham, I doubt that he saw it like that.
The most obvious mockery on this tour was Ronnie O'Brien refusing to join up, instead he played in another friendly. I'd be pretty sure that Lapiro was capped with that in mind.

[SkStu]

Mockery, I have seen Dunphy in a green shirt, the rest pales in comparison.
Jason O'Brien's first cap, a 10 second cameo, was a sham, I doubt that he saw it like that.

who is Jason O'Brien?? :eek: do u mean Jason Byrne?

[pete]

- Its clear he was picked as was convenient.
- Staunton gave him a cap to stop him ever playing for the USA.
- Its fairly cruel when you think that he will never see an irish squad in the near future.

If any on ye are attending Irish matches in far flung places in the future remember to bring your boots as you too could become an Ireland international if it is convenient!