'Why would someone do that?': Tom Flanagan tears apart this Sunderland dressing room myth

The centre back was speaking after the 1-0 win over Peterborough United, which saw the Black Cats continue their unbeaten start to the season.

Despite being presented with a tricky start to the new League One campaign, Sunderland have picked up seven points from nine available thus far and have shown some encouraging glimpses ahead of what is sure to be a gruelling 46-game slog.

And the promising start to the campaign comes after a summer in which the atmosphere at the Academy of Light has been placed firmly under the microscope.

Comments from former players – most notably Lewis Morgan – painted the dressing room atmosphere in a negative light.

But Flanagan has dismissed those comments, and believes such remarks should be treated with caution in the future.

"It's the easiest thing in the world to leave somewhere and say negative things because you've left,” he said.

"Why would you leave somewhere and say 'oh, it's the greatest dressing room I've ever been in', because it makes you look a bit silly in the dressing room you're in now. Why would someone do that?

“I would say the dressing room has been as good as it's been,” he continued.

"We're a tight-knit group no matter what anybody on the outside thinks or says or what people who leave the club say. Ultimately, people who leave the club probably don't want to be leaving the club so they're not going to be saying nice things.”

‘Cliques’ have also been brought up in the past, but Flanagan insists that while some people may get on better than others, the group remain united.

Indeed, the circumstances in which the 2019/20 season was curtailed – and Sunderland were denied a shot at promotion – has yielded a stronger collective spirit.

"It's something that doesn't affect us and we're not in a situation where we're worried about cliques,” Flanagan admitted.

"There's some people in the dressing room who get on better than others - that's like any other workplace. I think there's a lot been made of it, but at the end of the day we're work colleagues.

"We spend a lot of time with each other and it's better this year, because we're in a situation now when our season got cut short and we failed to get where we wanted.

“Now, it's all dawned on us that we have to get where we've got to get now."

Key to the improving atmosphere behind the scenes have been the new faces brought into the squad this summer – with Flanagan believing ‘winner’ Aiden O’Brien and ‘captain’ Bailey Wright have added key qualities to the club both on and off the field.

And he says the emergence of a number of leaders in the ranks has cultivated a different culture to that seen in recent years.

"I think we've made some really good additions,” said Flanagan.

"Aiden O'Brien has come in and been really good about the place, and he's come from a winning club. He knows what it's like to be a winner.

"Obviously Bailey coming back, he's good and we've added another captain to the dressing room.

“We're probably pushing five or six captains in that dressing room now, and there's now a little bit more of an open platform whereas previously we were a little bit... if someone was saying something not so nice we were a little bit protective of ourselves, and maybe we had our guards up.

"I think that's what's changed and you see it in a game like that."

Flanagan was pleased to see Sunderland’s strong off-field spirit yield a positive result against Peterborough United on Saturday, in a game where the Black Cats had to be patient to claim the three points.

"I think a game like that today is to be expected,” said the centre back.

"They're going to be challenging up there and they're the kind of games we need to win, but maybe in previous seasons we've drawn.

"I think we were knocking on the door for the majority of the time and finally got what we deserved."

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