existential crisis!!!

[meretricula]

seriously, have you ever had a moment like you've suddenly realized you're in the Matrix? good god. I was reading all these really ancient and very detailed wank reports on Cassie Claire's circle back in the day and had the sudden horrific thought... what if I'm a troll too?

...you guys would tell me if I were a troll, right? I know I don't always remember to be nice. and I was kind of a bitch over the fbkink thing. and I say awful things sometimes without really thinking about it. and got told by a Canadian yesterday that I'm embarrassing to be seen with because I swear too much, so it's not even just an online thing.

but if I'm being awful please just tell me, okay? I don't want to be a troll.

fandom is scary sometimes.

(PS: good god cornerflag why must you be so difficult to write.)

Comments

[nahco3.livejournal.com]

just butting in but if you ever want Valencia info (anyone!) feel free to hit me up, I've been a fan of the club for a long long time. and I'd be happy to walk you through some of their crazy history, if you ever want.

[mardia.livejournal.com]

Um, I might actually hit you up on that, because I'm fairly convinced that if I could only get D.Villa's history before coming to Barcelona, I'd be writing that dude, like, ALL THE TIME. Like, who was he friends with at Valencia, what was his relationship w/ the team (obviously good, if he's visiting the club and such on days off), and really, wtf was the deal with him and Raul?

(Actually, and this is a question I've always meant to ask at large, but I've heard talk of how Raul was shittily treated by Real Madrid/Perez, and does anybody have details on this?)

hahaha, sorry for dumping all these questions on you, I just haven't been able to find anything but vague talk about them.

[nahco3.livejournal.com]

so, DV came to Valencia in 2006. he was good friends with Silva, Fernando Morientes, Juan Mata and Joaquin. (I think?) If I remember correctly, he used to room with Morientes when they played away games, but I could be wrong about that.

he had a really good relationship with the team. he said (multiple times) that he would never leave unless the club wanted him too, and I like to think he would have seen himself remaining at Valencia for the rest of his career. he was obviously loved by the fans (and Valencia fans can be kind of...acrimonious) because of what a talented player he was.

the thing with Raul, well... I don't know if you watched World Cup in 2006, but basically Raul wore the 7 jersey for Spain at the time and was Spain's captain, and Spain had a very disappointing tournament. shortly after the Cup, Raul got dropped from the squad, and DV was awarded the 7 jersey. this obviously pissed off Raul because he was really a symbol of Spanish football, was their top goal scorer in history, etc. DV also gave some interviews about getting the 7 jersey that weren't the nicest most polite things ever.

the Perez thing is probably in reference to the fact that Raul was also Real's captain and generally awesome symbolic player, and was sold to Schalke this year against his will. It's kind of...the most horrifying transfer you can imagine, in a way, because Raul and Real are pretty much metonyms. and Perez is a huge douche (in my opinion) for many things, but pretty much heartlessly selling his club's most symbolic player, who has only ever played for Real, who has won it all with them, etc, is pretty shitty even for him. esp. since Raul's having a great season at Schalke now, and Real is having a bit of a striker crisis.

let me know if you have any other questions? I'm obviously happy to explain this stuff. :)

[mardia.livejournal.com]

Raul was also Real's captain and generally awesome symbolic player, and was sold to Schalke this year against his will.

Wait. What.

No, I'm sorry, let's just go back a second. I did know that Raul was basically the symbol of Real Madrid--I basically saw it as him being Real Madrid's Gerrard, which makes perfect sense--and Perez did what? How.

(haha, sorry, I just--man, I'm picturing Steven Gerrard being put in the same position, and I kinda wanna throw up at the thought, ngl. Jeez, and I thought what I'd heard of del Bosque's exit was bad. WTF, Perez!)

Actually, the first time I ever saw a WC match was in Madrid (I was there as part of a school trip, and even though I wasn't into soccer at the time, it was obvious how much the tournament meant) and I remember watching Spain go out to France, and my very unhappy Spanish landlady on the phone with her sons, lamenting the loss.

But that's really cool info about Villa and Valencia--I knew he'd left the club on excellent terms, and obviously has a ton of affection for the club. I'm glad to have him at Barca, ngl, but it's a shame he had to leave under those circumstances.

[nahco3.livejournal.com]

and Perez did what? How

the situation is slightly more complex than the way I've represented it but in a nutshell: he was injured for a lot of the 2010 season and unable to play. it was made clear to him that if he stayed at Real he'd be an infrequent substitute at best, not be played at all at worst. Perez was a dick, Raul decided to leave over being forced into premature retirement. there's a lot more hinted at about back room stuff, but nothing can really be confirmed.

I'm picturing Steven Gerrard being put in the same position, and I kinda wanna throw up at the thought, ngl. Jeez, and I thought what I'd heard of del Bosque's exit was bad. WTF, Perez!

yeah. it's pretty much...the worst possible transfer. especially coming right after Guti's transfer.

I'm glad to have him at Barca, ngl, but it's a shame he had to leave under those circumstances

it is. I try to be happy for Barca fans that they've got him now, and that he's at last being properly appreciated. (for years and years, he was as good as he is now but no one seemed to realize it but Valencia fans. very frustrating.) but I'm still a tad bitter. sigh.

[mardia.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. It certainly puts Mourinho's striker "dilemma" (the quotes are deliberate) into a much more ironic light, damn.

I'm surprised more RM fans aren't in revolt over Perez. (Although given Rosell's antics at Barca this year, it's not like I have any room to talk, ugh.)

And I am sorry, no wonder you're still bitter, jeez. Um, at least he hasn't scored against you this season? Sorry, I'm trying to find an upside here, lol.

[louis-quatorze.livejournal.com]

This is why I'm totally in favor of Raul/Manuel Neuer. since Schalke will probably have to sell Manu in the summer, even though he's been with the club since he was 4 and used to go hang out on the terraces with the ultras until he got too famous. THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. except probably not language-wise.

[mardia.livejournal.com]

Aw, jeez, poor Neuer. (I'd heard that he'd been very gracious and tight-lipped about all the transfer rumors swirling around him, and it makes sense as to why.) And HEE, I bet they DO understand each other quite a bit, Lord.

[louis-quatorze.livejournal.com]

I know. I feel bad. :/ Bayern Munich would be such a bad idea for him, what with his particularly intimate history with the Schalke fans, but Bayern are the mafia of German football and well. poor boy. I bet Raul is telling him all kinds of cynical stuff about how clubs treat their legends when they get old...

[mardia.livejournal.com]

Oh jeez. I've heard that Bayern Munich goes in for what I call the Pokemon-method (gotta catch 'em all! no matter what it costs) of transfers, but no, it doesn't sound like a good idea for him to go there. (Will he even STAY in the Bundesliga is my question, I keep hearing about him being linked with Man Utd.)

I bet Raul is telling him all kinds of cynical stuff about how clubs treat their legends when they get old...

Oh, fff. I bet at first Raul's cynical and totally uninvested about it, but as he starts to get used to the club and to Neuer...UGH UGH UGH. And then Neuer turns it back on him and asks if he honestly thinks he won't go back to Real Madrid someday.

[louis-quatorze.livejournal.com]

They seriously do. Especially if the player a) played well against them and b) is German. It's really more about crippling potential rivals than needing the player, because they are the mafia. Most of the time it doesn't work out and it screws up the player- Baumjohann, Podolski, Schlaudraff, Jensen, Mario Gomez is a shadow of what he was at Stuttgart, and those are just from the last two years- but it keeps Bayern top. I never want any player I like to go there. (Although to be fair, they do have a good record of developing their own youth products lately.)

awww. ;_; poor Raul. and Neuer would ask him that.