STUART BANNIGAN has backed Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald to win November’s Premiership manager of the month award.

The Jags have turned their form around after a dismal start to the season, and they rounded off an unbeaten run of three fixtures in November with the 5-2 thumping of Kilmarnock last weekend.

Bannigan, who himself has been instrumental in his side’s upturn in performances, says he wouldn’t be surprised if his boss lifts the award when it is announced this afternoon.

“I think he’s done a great job,” he said.

“It’s credit to him because he never let himself get down when things were going bad. And now things have turned I think people need to start recognising the job he has done here.

“He never panicked when it wasn’t going well for us. I think he always knew we had the quality to turn it around. It’s also credit to the players for what they have done to help the situation.

“But the manager is very thorough in his preparations and he knows how to get the best out of the lads here.

“I think it helped us that he was always calm. He’s not the type to worry, he thinks more about the future and how we can put things right. Of course we are all disappointed in the days after a defeat but in training we look ahead to putting it right.

“Does the gaffer not get the credit he deserves? I think maybe it’s just that this club goes under the radar. But I think everyone inside football knows how well he has done here.

“I don’t think he cares about what people on the outside think. But I think he’s in with a good shout of being manager of the month. We’ve got back to back wins this month and we’ve only been beaten once in seven.

“Over the last couple of months he has taken us from bottom of the league right back up into contention. So he’s got to be in with a good shout.”

Bannigan returned from suspension for the win over Kilmarnock, but while he recognises that he picks up a high number of bookings, he feels that any attempt to curb his competitive nature would negatively affect his game.

“I was thankful to the manager to put me back in because he could easily have stuck with a winning team,” he said.

“I have to go out and prove that I deserved to be there and I felt I did that on Saturday.

“You don’t think about picking up bookings when you’re on the park. It’s just in my nature. It may be daft at times but if I take it out of my game it might hamper other areas of it.

“I don’t think I will curb the way I play but if you look at it in hindsight I do miss a couple of games a season which is important.

“I don’t want to get a reputation among referees the way some other players do.

“I think I’ve started to do really well in the past month.

“I’m getting right into my form this season and it’s come a wee bit earlier than expected, usually it’s after Christmas before I start to come good!

“I’m happy with the way I’m playing and I think the team is starting to gel a wee bit more now with the new players.

“It’s all coming together nicely, and I just want to be a driving force for this team.”

As Thistle prepare to give out free scarves designed by the artist Jon Rubin to fans this weekend, Bannigan was asked if his creative talents extended to an artistic streak.

He laughed: “No, I’m a lefty, I smudge!”

*Partick Thistle will give away 2,000 scarves designed by Pittsburgh-based artist Jon Rubin ahead of Saturday’s match against Motherwell at Firhill. It is the latest giveaway in conjunction with sponsor Kingsford Capital Management.