Monotheism & Defensive Midfielders

The notion of progress as an incontrovertible good pervades the cultural fabric of England. Monotheistic religions such as Christianity assert that God is a transcendental being that is separate from the immanent universe; as humanity was created in his image, human-beings are therefore also separable to some degree from the natural world. Nature is therefore seen to be something which can be mastered by humans as they pursue an Earthly project of self-improvement. England is a nation shaped by the Protestant strand of Christianity, and the Protestant ethic promotes work as salvation. The belief in progress as panacea persists within our secular contemporaneous era, supported by the prevalence of science and technology.

The requirement for an inhabitant of a progress-oriented capitalist nation such as England is to be an adaptable and footloose economic unit. Stable social formations such as families and communities are not particularly compatible with unfettered market forces, which require a flexible and independent workforce. In present day England, affluence means that work is no longer closely tied to subsistence for the majority of people; employment in an affluent society is now intimately linked to the pursuit of progress. Steady, regular employment undermines the values of this pursuit. Occupations such as mining, which provided the foundations for whole communities, are now redundant. Even a role such as postman, which once provided secure job-for-life employment, is now shaped by short-term contracts. A society that lauds progress cannot accommodate people who merely wish to exchange their labour for money. To function appropriately within a progress-driven society, it is vital to be committed to a programme of self-betterment so that one’s economic value is continuously enhanced.

Football is not free from the pervasive influence of the progress imperative. This is why on-field positions which offer solidity and security tend to be undervalued. Defensive midfield is a position that has been underplayed within England’s national side. Defensive midfielders are defined by their relationship to the opposition, and are required to address the creative endeavours of another party. But Christianity is defined by creation ex nihilo (as God created the universe from nothing); so autonomous economic units (including footballers) shouldn’t be dependent on others with regard to creative enterprise. A society shaped by the imperatives of economic progress is thus much more respecting of marauding box-to-box midfielders who are able to seize the game and bend it to their will. Players such as Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole are lauded as they can ‘create something out of nothing’. So in the past, when a steadier player was incorporated in the side to help team balance, then there was confusion with regard to their contribution. For example, when Michael Carrick played against Uruguay in March 2006 it was highlighted that he was: ‘Unflustered and neat in possession…but lacks the drive of Frank Lampard or the presence to dictate a game.’

Other countries don’t seem to have quite the same aversion to steady defensive midfielders. Even flair nations like Brazil seem to recognize that security is a necessary complement to attacking imagination. But in progress-focused England, each player seemingly has to be a match winner otherwise they are performing inadequately. Steadiness and security are features of a sedate and comfortable world; they are inapplicable to the sharp-suited world of aspirational neo-liberalism. Competently and cheerfully fulfilling a steady job is untenable in England, as it won’t change the world. And this includes breaking up the opposition’s play and passing sideways! So the next time you are screaming at your TV set, imploring Gareth Barry to push up – remember, your feelings are just an irrational corollary of secularized monotheism.