Jurgen Klopp slams Liverpool players for losing their minds in crushing defeat at Watford

Jurgen Klopp hopes this Watford defeat is his worst day as Liverpool manager

 

JURGEN KLOPP has accused his Liverpool players of "losing their minds" as they were blitzed by Quique Sanchez Flores' vibrant Watford.

 

After a horrific third-minute blunder by reserve goalkeeper Adam Bogdan handed Nathan Ake the opening goal, two superb strikes from Odion Ighalo gave Watford a thoroughly deserved win, which left them just one point off the Champions League places.

The shell-shocked Liverpool manager, whose team have now gone three games without a win, said: "We lost our mind after the first goal, we lost our compact formation, we didn't play easy, as we should have done. It was really bad.

 

"We made bigger mistakes than the referee. But the goalkeeper had both hands on the ball, so it's a foul. That's what happened. But mistakes, fouls, whatever, can happen. The reaction has to be better.

"Hopefully it's the most disappointing moment in my whole Liverpool FC life so far.

"We don't feel good, of course, because we came here to do something really different. There was a big space between what we wanted to do and what happene and that's what we have to fill before the next game against Leicester [on Boxing Day].

 

"We have to accept the result, we have to keep on working and play better football.

"After the wins we have had, everybody thought, 'wow'. But that was one part of the thing. Now we saw completely the other side. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.

"I know how strong this team can be. It's my job to help them so they can show it much more often than we have."

 

A delighted Flores, whose team have now won for league games on the bounce said; "I'm really happy. I had the feeling since the first day here that this group of players has a big soul, that we can be competitive.

"I'm really pleased with the desire the whole team showed. Watching them every single day in training I see what they are capable of. But we must not take our minds off the target of survival. We want to grow this club. That is our aim. To think anything else would be a mistake."