Partick Thistle captain Stuart Bannigan believes that the Jags' Scottish League Cup match against Celtic is a free shot for them to show what they can do.
The Scottish Championship side are set to play their first game under the management of new boss Ian McCall against Scottish champions Celtic in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup this evening.
The Hoops have won the last three Scottish League Cups and are looking to win it for a fourth time in a row. They are also unbeaten in the competition since losing to Ross County in the semi-finals in the 2015/16 season.
While Bannigan is aware of the challenge ahead of Thistle, he feels that there is always a chance to win in cup games. The 27-year-old wants his team to use the game to show their new manager what they are capable of and prove they belong at Firhill.
The midfielder believes that Thistle's match against Celtic is a free shot for them to show what they can do as no one gives them a chance to win.
“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", Bannigan told Partick Thistle's website.
"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 has scored one goal from his nine appearances across all competitions for Partick Thistle this season.
