Bannigan: “Why not us?”

Wednesday 25th September, 2019 at 11:39am

Thistle travel to Celtic Park in Ian McCall’s first game back as manager, to face the current Betfred Cup holders. The team know the task ahead of them against a team who has won everything available to them domestically, but the message is clear from Stuart Bannigan.

“They can’t keep winning forever so, why not us?”

Bannigan was pleased to see the man who gave him his debut return as manager on Monday and he admits it has given the place a lift with everyone in high spirits in his first training session on Tuesday morning.

Speaking to ptfc.co.uk he said: “We met the manager for the first time yesterday morning and had our first training session and it was great. We’ve got a fantastic manager with a great record and the boys are all buzzing. Hopefully we can start turning things around.

“I was a youngster when he was here before and he gave me my debut so he knows me well and obviously Archie coming back too who was a great manager too, so they both know the club extremely well and what it’s about. It’s great to have them both here along with Neil.”

Bannigan is the clubs longest serving player having been through everything with the club and he admits the players now have to show the same dedication the manager has shown to the club by returning.

“Both the gaffer and Archie are Thistle men, the manager was going great with his last club but he’s come back here to help us, that just shows you exactly what the club means to him and it’s up to us as players now to show that same dedication to the club as he has and drive the club forward.”

The match at Celtic is Thistle’s chance to make it into a Hampden semi-final but while Banzo knows it’s too soon for the manager to get too much across, he does see it as a chance for the players to show what they are all about

“It’s a cup game, you always have a chance but we know the task at hand, they are unbeaten in these cups for a long time and have been extremely consistent but for us it’s a free shot to go out there and show what we can do. No one expects us to do anything, we have to use that to our advantage.

“The manager hasn’t had much time to get his points across but as individuals we want to show him what we can do, it’s a chance for us to go stake our cases for a place in the team. It’s a chance for us to show we want to be here, that we have it in us to go out there and fight. They have to lose a game in one of the cups eventually”

Bannigan admits he hasn’t been his best so far this season and he knows he has to up his game, he hopes a new manager allows him to do that

“I know myself I need to perform better, I’ve had a small lull in my performances but hopefully now with a new manager, he can lift the place and get the best out of me and get the best out the whole squad.”

The Jags number 8 is hoping for the backing of the fans as everyone looks to a bright new era at Partick Thistle and he promises to give it his all to make that happen

“The fans want to see a team on the park with a bit of fight, with a bit of passion and that show they care. We’ll certainly get that instantly and we’ll give our all to go out and try and win these games coming up

“It’s important everyone works together, as players we have to get behind what the manager wants to do, and we need the fans too to get behind that and everyone drive this club forward as one.”

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