Thiago Alcantara admits he has not been happy with his form since signing for Liverpool - but believes he can prosper alongside 'awesome' Fabinho.
Thiago has struggled for consistency since arriving from Bayern Munich last September, not helped by contracting coronavirus shorly afterwards and then being sidelined for more than two months with a knee injury.
The Spaniard has been accused in some quarters of slowing down Liverpool's play and contributing to the champions' alarming Premier League form this calendar year.
Thiago, though, was hugely impressive in the 2-0 Champions League round of 16 second leg win against RB Leipzig in Budapest on Wednesday.
And he said to TNT Sports Brasil: "I don't read a word about what people talk about me.
"I know that I receive some criticism about my performances, but I'm not happy with my performance since I came here.
"A new club, a strange situation (COVID), I had a strong injury, so get to into the rhythm it was hard, but it's not an excuse.”
Thiago was employed in a more advanced midfield role with Fabinho starting at number six for the first time since the Goodison derby in October - the fixture in which Thiago suffered his injury.
And the 29-year-old believes the Brazilian helped open up a fresh dimension to his game.
"He is a great player," said Thiago, speaking to liverpoolfc.com. "He gives us a lot of confidence in our backs, and it's awesome to play alongside him.
"It frees me up a bit, I can move some lines forward and with that I can be more confident and player (nearer) with the strikers.
"I enjoy playing a bit more advanced because you're always near the goal and you can create chances and score. It's a nice position."
Of Wednesday's win - which earned Jurgen Klopp's side a 4-0 aggregate success - Thiago added: "It's a boost of injection to our morale. We deserve to celebrate and be happy with something and from now on have this feeling we have right now. With that we can win all the games we have left.
"It's been a tough period for all of us because we didn't in our worst nightmares expect we are now in this position in the Premier League.
"But we are trying to perform the best that we can and get better in every training session, and I think this performance is a positive for all of us."
