​FBL-ENG-PR-LIVERPOOL-BRIGHTON – AFPLiverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz has issued a defiant response to the mounting criticism surrounding his performances since joining Liverpool for a club-record fee. The German international, who has struggled to maintain consistency, insists he remains focused on his game despite high-profile pundits questioning his output.Wirtz hits back at punditry pressureThe Germany international has found himself under the microscope ever since the Reds committed to a staggering £116.5 million deal to lure him away from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025. Despite the pressure of his price tag, the 23-year-old is adamant that he is not listening to the critics who have questioned his output during his time in the Premier League. Wirtz played a pivotal role in the breakthrough against Brighton, as it was his powerful effort that deflected off Pascal Gross to open the scoring. Following that opener, Bradley Barcola provided the assist for Alexander Isak to secure the result.”Maybe I’m just an interesting guy, you know?” Wirtz joked during a post-match interview with the BBC. The midfielder, who struggled to find consistent rhythm during his debut year under Arne Slot, appears to be enjoying a new lease of life in the current setup. Wirtz currently boasts a tally of one goal and three assists for the current campaign, figures that he will be looking to improve as he seeks to silence his detractors permanently. “No, I just play my football, and if people want to talk about me or judge me, that’s their job. I am not focusing on that. I just want to play football, and more, I cannot do,” the playmaker added as he continues to adapt to the rigours of English football.The midfielder hails dominant first-half displayWirtz then praised his team’s mindset and commanding start, highlighting their sharp execution in the opening phase of the game. He noted that throughout the first half—particularly during the initial thirty minutes—the squad asserted control by dominating individual duels, generating numerous scoring opportunities, and pairing their attacking tempo with disciplined defending to close out the half securely.”We had the right mentality today to go into this game. In the first half or first 30 minutes, we were on top of them and really good in the duels, creating a lot of chances. It’s good to end the half and we defended good. Really happy about that,” he explained.”It’s really enjoyable. I think many things weren’t so good in the last month so I’m even happier that it’s going well at the moment. We are in a good way to get where we want to be. We should keep going like that and I’m happy about that.”Carragher pulls no punchesThe most vocal critic of the German star has been Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who has repeatedly questioned whether the club received fair value for their money. Following a disappointing loss to Manchester City earlier in the season, Carragher was particularly scathing about the midfi