Jurgen Klopp Defends Dejan Lovren After Liverpool's 3-0 Defeat at Watford

Jurgen Klopp has defended Dejan Lovren's performance after Liverpool lost their first Premier League game of the season at Watford on Saturday.

The 3-0 defeat was just the second time this season the Reds have dropped league points, and Lovren made a rare start at Vicarage Road, partnering Virgil van Dijk.

According to David Lynch of the Evening Standard, Klopp refused to blame the Croat after Watford's Troy Deeney revealed he attempted to exploit the 30-year-old's deficiencies:

"It's not fair, but that's the world. If anybody gave Dejan Lovren the blame for our defeat then I can't help these people.

"A lot of times in my life I speak to people and they know less than I do about football, that's okay as I'm a well-paid Premier League manager and I should know more than most people.

"But on that level, I can't discuss it. You have to see the situations.

"Yes, it was a massive challenge for Dejan to play against Troy Deeney. So many other centre-halves in the world would struggle in these specific situations."

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Both Lovren and Van Dijk had problems tracking Hornets forward Ismaila Sarr, who bagged two goals during the shock result. Deeney's goal wrapped up the victory with 18 minutes remaining, and Watford were deserved winners.

Joe Gomez missed the fixture with an injury, and Lovren was preferred to start over Joel Matip, who took a seat on the substitutes' bench.

The hosts threw everything at Liverpool during the encounter, and the attacking gamble emphatically paid off for Nigel Pearson's men.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Klopp added Lovren and Matip have both been "sensational" when called into the starting XI, and the Reds boss said it's difficult for the pair to find "rhythm" when they're needed to play after a lack of minutes.

Deeney had told Sky Sports he specifically targeted the Croatia international rather than Liverpool's senior centre-back (h/t Lynch): "Van Dijk is a class act; he's [a] top-five defender in the world, and it's tough to get anything from him. "He's 6'6, fast, strong, and you try and pick on the weaker of the two—no disrespect to Lovren."

Klopp consistently defends his fringe players when he calls upon them, and Lovren didn't perform significantly worse than his defensive team-mates over the full match. However, the game showed Liverpool have squad weaknesses despite being able to field the league's best starting XI this term.

The German might have to bring in new recruits to address his depth ahead of next season, but Lovren remains a capable substitute waiting in the wings.

Liverpool are back in action on Tuesday at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round. Gomez remains doubtful, meaning Lovren or Matip could start at Stamford Bridge.