Liverpool got back to winning ways on Saturday night with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield; however, a few hours earlier, the U21 side were once again celebrating following a 4-2 win over Middlesbrough.

Many of the lads in the academy ranks made the step up to first team duty and tasted defeat in the Carabao Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace, but the likes of Kaide Gordon, Kieran Morrison, Wellity Lucky, Amara Nallo and others were back in familiar surroundings at the AXA Academy. 

The mini-Reds followed up a derby victory and a remarkably entertaining 5-4 win over in Frankfurt with three more Premier League 2 points, and manager Rob Page was understandably delighted afterwards…

On another win: “As you can imagine, the changing room’s buzzing. It was great to get a win, but again, in the manner in which we won, I thought we were dominant. My only criticism at half-time was that I think we fell below the standards we’ve shown, the training we’ve shown the whole week. The level of performance from last week against Everton, albeit against 10 men for a large part of the game, but we still had to create the chances. I think we created something like 26 chances last week. We took that into the game, but we weren’t ruthless enough. I thought we allowed them, we took the lead and then we allowed them to get a bit of a… We gave them a leg up. We allowed them to get back into the game, which disappointed me. I said that it was nothing tactical that needed to change, maybe the switch to a full-back quicker, but outside of that, it was more our tempo and our levels. I said to them the message was, if you match the levels we did last week, then the result takes care of itself. I think we probably created another 20-odd chances today.”

On youngsters making first team squad vs Crystal Palace: “There’s been no meeting about it. It speaks volumes about the lads, because they are capable of transitioning from the first team then with us. So it’s a great… What’s the word I’m looking for? It’s exciting for them, isn’t it, to be a part of the first team? So there are only positives to come out of it. And then when they drop back down to us, they must have been itching. I was looking forward to the game today. Off the back of last week’s performance, I said to them, I know that we’re just starting to click and I know that there’s more to come from us; there’s more goals in the team. You look at the front four today. Kaide were brought inside as a 10, and Kieran out wide on the right. And any time Kieran can come inside and Kaide goes out wide, the threat they pose, the front four, is phenomenal. And Figgy, again, with another couple of goals to his five in two games, his form and his attitude is first class.”

On Calvin Ramsay: “Really impressed. I think it’s been a conscious effort amongst a lot of the medical team, sports science, coaches, members of staff, to get him into a position now where in January we can seriously be looking about getting him a club to go out on loan or see what the next step is for Rambo. I thought his performance against Palace in the cup in the week was excellent. He’ll always be critical of himself, and there’s always things he’ll want to work on, but I thought considering he was thrown in for his first game at that level for a while, I thought he adapted to it really well. And probably showed experience as well. You could tell that he played at a top level and acquitted himself really, really well. As did all the players. I thought there was positives to come away from all the players. Nallo will learn from that experience. It’s been a difficult time for him, but he’ll be bigger and stronger having gone through that. I was a centre-back myself, and you make a wrong decision or one mistake, you get punished for it at that level. Absolutely, and against a top team like Palace. So it’s no problem. He’s still a young lad. It’s part of his development. He’s been around the first team from a young age, so fine, no problem. Might need time to step away from it a little bit to play these games. I thought he was excellent again today with Wellity. And pick the right moments again then when he can go back and get involved.”

More on the fitness of Ramsay: “His minutes – we’re protecting him. There was no need to play him today. He’s off the back of a big game in midweek and again playing for us last Sunday. So he’s had two big games. And while we’ve got the squad, I thought David was excellent when he came on today. And we knew we were going to play Clay for 45 minutes. So Clay got his 45, Davo came on, was excellent. Pitt went to left back. So we didn’t need Rambo for today. But next Friday will be a different matter.”

On Nallo: Yeah, well, look, Alex is a big part of that as well, his development. Alex knows him better than anybody at the football club because he’s worked with him from a young age. So Al knows him inside out. So there’ll be conversations and support if needed. He’s all right. He’ll come back in. He’s such a positive, confident young man that he’ll deal with it. It’s not a problem for him. So he’s not happy that he’s had to go through that. Of course not. But there’s enough support around him. But at this moment in time, that’s the reason we played him today, to get him back on the bike straight away. And the way he’s played today has been excellent. As captain as well, you’ve had a good response from him.”

On the youngsters’ involvement at first team level: It is boss! From my point of view, that’s where part of the job is, developing players through to the first team. So, you know, is there going to be any longevity in it? Well, we’ll see what happens next with the next few games. But that’s all you can do, is promote the players that are in a good place, doing well. And yeah, I was there at the game watching it myself, and proud to see all the boys perform. Kieran get his chance, and even Rio and Trey, that’s come through the system. And then you’ve got Rambo playing really well. And the bench was full of the 21’s, so a great experience.”

On Figueroa: “He has (taken his chance), and like I said last week, you know, look, he could have thrown the towel in in pre-season, because he saw Dannsy playing in front of him, then he saw Will being bought in and playing in front of him. Yet through pre-season, he was the top scorer. And when given the opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands. And that’s all you can ask as a player. The jersey’s his at the minute, so it’s his to lose now. And I still think there’s more to come. I’ve just said to him, and now I’m pleased for him, he’s on the two goals, but I still think there’s more to come, so we’re going to push, and push him, and get him to the best level he can get to.”