Klopp: We lost our mind at Watford

Manager Jurgen Klopp was left to rue his Liverpool side’s temporary insanity during their 3-0 Premier League defeat at Watford on Sunday.

Klopp found his team a goal behind within three minutes at Vicarage Road, after Nathan Ake tapped in from close range when visiting goalkeeper Adam Bogdan dropped a left-wing corner, and by the quarter-hour mark Odion Ighalo had doubled the Hornets’ advantage.

Ighalo added a third for Watford late on, taking his tally for the season to 12.

While he felt Ake had fouled Bogdan for the opening goal, Klopp was frustrated by the way in which his side caved in after falling behind.

“Our reaction has to be better. We lost our mind after the first goal, we lost our compact formation after the first goal,” he said.

“We didn’t play easy, what we should have done. The pitch is not the best one but it is possible to play football if you play easy football.

“With a little bit of wind you have to use the wind, you don’t play against the wind. That’s what Watford did with the second goal.

“We had nearly the same situation in the second half with Divock Origi. It was really difficult to defend with the wind so that the striker can go and win the ball. It’s easier for him than for the defender who has the wind from behind.

“That’s the situation – they scored the goal, we didn’t score the goal.”

Watford’s win leaves the hosts just a point off the Champions League places. Liverpool, meanwhile, sit ninth on 24 points prior to their clash with table-topping Leicester City in six days.

“I would say hopefully it is the most disappointing moment in my whole Liverpool FC life from now on,” said Klopp. “We don’t feel good today because we came here to do something different to what you could see.

“It was a big gap and a big space between and that’s what we have to fill in the next few days for the game against Leicester.”