Joseph Lapira

**Manc Irish Wolf** · 25/05/2007, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Manc Irish Wolf

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:26 PM

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:29 PM

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

**Dodge** · 25/05/2007, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Manc Irish Wolf

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by pete

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by gilberto_eire

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:35 PM

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

Are you Steve Staunton?

**pete** · 25/05/2007, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

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...

**fergalr** · 25/05/2007, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by Manc Irish Wolf

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.

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

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** · 25/05/2007, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by pete

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...

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** · 25/05/2007, 1:05 PM

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

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

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?

**tetsujin1979** · 25/05/2007, 1:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

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.

Originally Posted by Dodge

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

Walcott.

**Stuttgart88** · 25/05/2007, 1:16 PM

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** · 25/05/2007, 1:17 PM

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** · 25/05/2007, 1:34 PM

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

**RogerMilla** · 25/05/2007, 1:47 PM

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.