Tom Shaw says the Imps will again embrace their underdog status when they take on AFC Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
City travel to the Premier League side in the third round having already recorded away victories over Derby County and Blackpool in the competition this season.
And while Shaw is under no illusions about the size of the challenge awaiting his side on the south coast, he believes City’s character and resilience gives them reason to travel with confidence.
He said: “This football club comes alive when it’s the underdog. That’s been proven over a number of years.
“We’ve got some great resilience in this football club. We wouldn’t have achieved what everybody has achieved in recent years if that wasn’t there.
“What I thought was amazingly pleasing in the last couple of games is that the new players have got that in abundance as well. We’ve not had to poke that too much – it’s just in their character.”
Shaw and fellow head coach Chris Cohen are well aware of the qualities Bournemouth possess and expect another significant test following City’s encouraging start to life back in the Championship.
Shaw added: “This is a very tough game. They’re a top Premier League side now and have established themselves in Europe, with some very talented players.
“We want to go there and be a real problem for what is a really good football team and a club we’ve got amazing respect for, with the journey they’ve had and what they’re doing now.
“The team we put out there and the bench will be bang up for it. Anybody who makes the journey down there, we’re very thankful for their support and we’ll try to put on a show.”
City head into the tie following an encouraging run which brought five Championship points and saw just one goal conceded across games against Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton.
Shaw believes there is plenty more to come from his squad despite being encouraged by their performances so far.
He said: “We’re finding our feet at the level and we’ve had seven games now where we’ve competed really well. It’s a lovely foundation for us to build on.
“Physically, we’ve been amazing in all the games and imposed ourselves in big blocks during matches."
Shaw also has plenty of options available to him for the trip, with competition for places creating some difficult selection decisions.
He added: “There are lots of lads who deserve opportunities, need opportunities and have been pushing, so we will change things around as much as we think is appropriate. It was really hard to leave four good players out of the squad on Saturday.
“We want to stay in the competition as long as we can. There will be plenty of players getting the minutes they need and this is a competition where, when appropriate, they’ll get the opportunity to impress and build their fitness.
“This is a tough game, obviously, but it’s an important competition for us this year. The priority is to go there and be a real problem for the Cherries.”