Liverpool Under 21s were held to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Friday night as Will Wright opened his account for the season in the mini Merseyside derby. 

It was a crazy final 15 minutes as central defender Mor Talla Ndaye donned the goalkeeper gloves and a melee broke out after yet another crunching tackle in a contest that left little to the imagination. 

Speaking after the full-blooded encounter of red vs blue, manager Rob Page addressed a number of topics including potential loan exits, the change at the top and more…

On the game: “It was a feisty one. It was a typical derby game. I’ve just said to the boys that I’m proud of them for showing resilience. They had to dig in down to 10 men at the end of the game. We had already made our substitutions so we couldn’t put the keeper on. Mor (Talla Ndiaye) had played in goal before, and you just couldn’t love that man any more! He is an outstanding character, and what a signing he is. He was excellent in the game anyway. His passing and his reading of the game, knowing when to dribble out, was exceptional – and his defending.

“There was lots to talk about in the game. From a performance point of view, we are disappointed, of course. There’s things we’ll look back on and try to correct. We went with a different formation – we went with a 4-4-2 because we had Figgy and Will available.

“So we couldn’t really get an overload to start with in the middle to play through, but when we addressed it at half-time, we said about switching play and then the space will open up. That helped us a bit in the second half. At the start of the second half, we looked OK, and we looked in control of the game. But overall, pleased with a point considering the circumstances, and really pleased with their attitude.”

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Mor the goalkeeper: “The technique was awful, but as a centre half, we’ll let him off for that one! It was a good save by him. His goal kicks put our keepers to shame. We’ve just told them all that. He’s going to be taking goal kicks from now on.

Will Wright goal: “We started OK and got the goal. Disappointed to concede so early on. We just looked back at it now, and there is a little bit of movement which creates a bit of confusion for our two centre-backs, but it’s a good finish from the lad, in off the post, and they made it difficult for us at times tonight.”

Players could go on loan: “Trying to get as many players through, keeping them fit, no injuries. We’ve picked up a couple of knocks tonight but it’s a local derby with two teams who were at it. Our aim as development coaches is to get these players out playing competitive football – senior football if we can. Kieran Morrison is a great example of that. He has had a great 12 months, and he is now playing at a big club in Sheffield Wednesday in League One. Hopefully he can have a successful season there. That is our job, and it’s no different for these lads – we want to get as many out playing senior football.”

Josh Abe: “He dislocated his shoulder. It popped out and popped back in again. Apparently, he has had this problem for a while, so it’s nothing major. It’s just something that he is having to go through. He’s got his arm in a sling as a precaution and we’ll wait and see what happens.”

Jayden Danns back: “He needs game time, but that will definitely help him. He has looked really strong in training and that was a difficult game for him to come into – local derby, Everton away, Goodison Park. He couldn’t wait to get out there, but we weren’t in complete control of it. It was quite a feisty encounter, which added spice to it. With regard to Jayden, he is in a good place.

“There are conversations we can have now that he has played some minutes. Now he looks in good condition; the next step for us now is to have those conversations and have a sit-down together as a collective, to do the right thing for Jayden, whatever that may be. We’ll have conversations and we’ll come up with the right thing for Dannsy.”

Will Wright loan prospects: “Again, if it is the right loan move and the right club that suits him, and we’re going to get the best out of him, I can’t imagine we’d ever turn it down. But for Will’s development, it might be that he stays in. We don’t know. Let’s get to the window, get things on the table or not, and we’ll have a discussion if it’s best for him to stay in and train and be around the first team until January, then fine. If not, and the right club comes in and we choose to let him go on loan, it has got to be what is right for the player.:

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Andoni Iraola: “He has been excellent, and the staff. The two lads he has brought in with him as well have been really welcoming. We have had many a meeting in the gaffer’s office and he has spoken about his methodology and his identity and how he wants to be with and without the ball. I’m really excited about what the season looks like for us.

Players who have dropped back from first team back to Academy: “The intensity of training, we’re going to get knocks in training because that is all part and parcel of it. He has put a stamp on it straight away. He wants to change the intensity, and to do that, you have to train it – you can’t just turn up on a Saturday and expect to turn it on.

“We have seen a difference in the players who have been up there with the seniors and dropped back down. We’ve seen that intensity, which is great. It gets the younger ones who have stepped up from the 18s this year a bit of insight into what it’s like, so it’s all positive.”