Tom Flanagan: Shrewsbury targetting 12th to attract more quality

Boss Steve Cotterill has challenged his troops to push for a top-half finish in the final four League One games, which begin today at promotion-hunting Sunderland.

Town then play lowly Doncaster, on Monday, rivals Charlton and title-fighting Wigan.

Ahead of kick-off at the Stadium of Light, 16th-placed Town trailed Cheltenham, Cambridge and Accrington, in 12th to 14th respectively, by five points.

“The goal is to finish 12th or above, to be in that top half,” said Northern Ireland international defender Flanagan.

“Because from the start we had here – from what the manager speaks about – that will be a real achievement.

“It’ll stand us in good stead for next season and prove a point to a lot of people, even down to recruitment and things like that, players we want to bring in.

“If we finish 12th and above some big teams it’ll stand us in good stead for selling the club to players that want to be here to create a real push for next season.”

Town’s January recruit from Sunderland added: “We can achieve our goal with six points (over the double-header), I’d say. Not saying we’d then not turn up for the final two, but we might as well get the goal achieved as soon as possible.”

Flanagan, 30, makes an immediate return to Wearside just over two months after his surprising exit for Shropshire on deadline day.

The experienced stopper signed a lengthy contract in Salop and has made a big impression at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

He did, however, admit today’s clash was ‘just another game’. Flanagan said: “I’ve done that before, said I’m going to prove a point, and had some really bad situations!

“For me I’m at the age now where it really is another game.

“In five years when I go back it’ll just be nice to play at the stadium because it’s a brilliant place to play football and the crowd’s brilliant.

“I’ve got nothing to prove. The man I’ve got something to prove to – even I went there and scored 12 goals, he’d still say he made the right decision – that’s entirely up to him.

“I don’t know the manager (new boss Alex Neil). I know what the players think of me and the fans, that’s down to them, everyone has their own opinion but they don’t affect me too much.”