Flanno on Toon: You never know, we might be playing them next year

Sunderland defender Tom Flanagan has delivered his verdict on Newcastle United’s recent takeover.

The Magpies’ takeover was completed last week when a Saudi Arabian-led consortium ended Mike Ashley's 14-year ownership of the Tyneside club in a deal worth £300 million.

Saudi's Public Investment Fund took a controlling 80 per cent stake, with

PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media each buying up 10 per cent.

Since the deal’s conclusion, Newcastle have become the hottest topic of discussion in football, with accusations of sportswashing and questions over the Saudi state’s record on human rights.

There has been much noise, too, around how long it will take Newcastle’s new owners to transform the club from relegation candidates into Premier League title challengers.

But for Flanagan and his Sunderland teammates, it is business as usual.

When asked by a national reporter after the Gillingham game on Saturday if there had been any reaction from the Black Cats’ dressing room to the takeover, Flanagan said: “There’s been nothing really, it’s great for them, that’s brilliant.

“But Manchester City, look at them, they still haven’t won a Champions League so it doesn’t mean you’re going to win everything.

“It’s nothing that we are too interested in and they’re not safe yet so you never know, we might be playing them next year.”

Flanagan starred as Sunderland

defeated Gillingham 2-1 at Priestfield Stadium, and netted the winning goal before Elliot Embleton was sent off.

"It was the worst possible scenario at this stadium, with the way that they play, to go down to 10 men," Flanagan said.

“I thought we were a lot later on. I was expecting to look at the clock and we were going to be on 80 minutes.]

"But I looked (up) and we were on 65 or something like that.

“I thought, ‘This is going to be a long one’.

"But we didn’t go to a five [at the back] as we didn’t want to add pressure and we didn’t want to draw them on.

“We had the young lads on the bench but we’ve still proved that we could do it, and everyone has earned the trust of the manager."