Jurgen Klopp on 'keeper call: 'I think the referee didn't see it'

An injury to first-choice 'keeper Simon Mignolet handed summer signing Adam Bogdan his first league start, though it was nothing short of a nightmare for the Hungarian international.

Liverpool's 3-0 loss to Watford at Vicarage Road was highlighted by an Odion Ighalo brace, but it was Nathan Ake's opener that was scrutinized by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

Bogdan appeared to have his hands on the ball, only for Chelsea loanee Ake to kick it from his grasp and into the net.

"It was a bad start to the game," Klopp told Sky Sports, courtesy of ESPN FC. "Of course the first ball from Adam Bogdan, he should keep and he drops it. Having seen it again usually it is a foul but it is 1-0 and our reaction was really bad."

Not afraid to hold his squad accountable, Klopp didn't pull any punches with his criticism of the ex-Bolton netminder.

"The first one is (Bogdan's) fault, but then both hands on the ball, that is the goalkeeper safe, he has the ball, I think the referee didn't see it. It was the wrong decision but we made more wrong decisions."

Even with Bogdan's error, the loss was a result of more than a momentary lapse of judgment. Liverpool was bested all over the pitch, as the Hornets' 4-4-2 formation - with Ighalo and Troy Deeney up top - routinely threatened on the counter-attack and against the run of play.

"We lost our mind and stopped playing football," the gaffer added. "The second goal was very easy, we can defend this better. We tried a bit in the first half and changed a bit half-time, the start to the second half was very good, we could have scored two goals, but we didn't and then the third goal. Yeah, game over."

To his credit, Bogdan claimed responsibility for his error, saying, "It was a wrong time to concede. I dropped the first ball which is a mistake, I hold my hands up, but I felt I recovered the ball and he kicked it out of my hands. But if I catch the first one it's not a goal.

"I had both hands on the ball but we are talking about a split-second. It's not easy for the referee to see. If I catch the first ball there is no second one.

"Something went wrong, I have to think about it again. It was a mistake and I will learn from it. I felt good, it wasn't nerves. I trained hard for this chance and it started as a nightmare. I don't blame the referee or anyone else, I go back to train and work hard."