Tom Flanagan: Shrewsbury can compete at the top next season

Steve Cotterill’s team bring their 2021/22 campaign to a close tomorrow at home to Wigan – who need a win at Montgomery Waters Meadow to guarantee a Shropshire party and title crown.

Town, who finished 17th last term, can finish between 16th and 18th with one game remaining.

Northern Ireland international Flanagan has been a star January capture from Sunderland. The central defender has been a rock at the heart of Town’s backline, despite a winless run of five games. Cotterill and Shrews players believe, had they improved on a start of just one league win in eight, they would be competing in the top half.

“We had a stage where we were one of the most in-form teams and have conceded hardly any goals,” said former Burton and Black Cats star Flanagan, 30.

“There will be some additions, some people coming and some going, there might be some people that need to leave to get others in, this is just me guessing – if the manager had his way I’m sure he’d keep everyone and add a couple.

“I think we’re in a really strong position going forward, as long as everyone has a good off-season and really good pre-season, with some new recruits, I don’t really understand why we can’t (do well).”

He added: “From what’s been spoken about, the beginning of the season was really that poor, if we matched this second half of the season with the first half we’d be real contenders to be in the play-off pot.

“Sometimes we’re in the dressing room and we’re playing against a team who’ve something to play for in they might go up. You look at their squad and they’ve not really got players who’ve ever done it.

“We can pray on that fact, they get nervous, we should pray on that and have that killer instinct.

“Whereas next season hopefully we’ll be doing the killing, as such, to get in the mix.”

Flanagan, who was made available from the Stadium of Light after the sacking of Lee Johnson, has been a regular after being introduced to the Town’s back three, aside from international duty.

Visitors Wigan head into the finale two points clear of Rotherham and three ahead of MK Dons, but Leam Richardson’s stuttering side have not won in five.