Gerrard literally never played well as a center midfielder. He was always an attacking mid. Under Rafa he basically played as an inside winger because he's such a liability defensively. He tried "ageing into a quarterback role" at Liverpool, played there for one season and they conceded about 55 league goals while Suarez carried them.
This isn’t accurate. From 01-04 before Rafa came he played as a CM, he won PFAyoung player of the year, he won the Mickey Mouse treble and also actually finished in team of the years before Rafa came.
He also was part of a Liverpool aide that finished 2nd in 02, to say he literally never played good as a Cm is literally revisionist history, before Rafa came Gerrrard has already been considered one of the best CMs in Europe.
In the 13/14 season he wasn’t the only reason that Liverpool side conceded 51 goals but he was a part of it, his reasoning for being in that position was because of his quality on the ball, the same reason why Pirlo and Scholes were put in that position, neither of these players were great defensively and they both could be overan and out battled in fact Pirlo faced this dilemma many time in his career meaning he not only had to have Gattuso Seedorf to supplement him but also a world class defence behind him also. You have Pirlo Scholes Alonso in the quarter back position without a world class defence behind them and the same thing happens, they are there for the on ball ability and not defensive attributes, which is why Alonso best time at Liverpool came alongside another destroyer in Mascherano.
Gerrard had Flanagan Skrtel Mignolet behind him as opposed to Ferdinand Staam Cafu Maldini and Nesta, yet he was one of the main reasons for the success of the side that season, Suarez didn’t really do a carry job when the 2nd top goalscorer in the league was Sturridge with 21 goals and before he came into the team after his suspension Liverpool were already on top.
He had an all time great season but you can have that and not challenge for the league like Salah did.
Scholes may be a better CM but to say Gerrard literally never played well as a CM is wrong.