The favoured phrase was “favoured central midfield role”. When Steven Gerrard was entering his peak years, it was customary for the media to wonder when Liverpool would attempt to get the best from him. In the 2005-06 season, Gerrard scored 23 goals for Liverpool but, while the English game had evolved on the field thanks to managers like Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, the media could sometimes still be consumed by the game as it was played in an age that had passed or was passing. English clubs had traditionally been shaped by men like Bryan…

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