NEWCASTLE THUNDER old boy Max Flanagan believes the club will need to endure some short-term pain in order to achieve long-term success.
While Thunder find themselves struggling for results at the wrong end of the table, the versatile Rochdale back has leapt to the defence of their current crop of players – highlighting the unforgiving nature of the competition.
This season, Newcastle have a squad made up predominantly of local talent with very little first-team experience.
But Flanagan – who represented the club in the Championship back in 2023 – says their recent blow-out scores matter little as they work towards the longer-term vision of competing against the best in League One.
“They’re doing it tough at the minute, but there are some good quality players there,” said Flanagan.
“It’s a tough league to break into, and it’s hard when you’re a young lad. The more experience they get at this level, the better they’ll become, and I hope to see them come good.”