Paul Simpson's message to Carlisle United ahead of Salford City clash

Tomorrow’s opponents, Simpson said, often seek to dominate possession.

But United’s boss says his side must be prepared to “make it ugly” if needs be in order to get a dominant foothold in the game.

Simpson travelled to watch Salford in their midweek 3-0 FA Cup defeat to Peterborough United.

And, asked if Salford’s tactical approach meant tomorrow’s game could be akin to a game of chess, he said: “I think they way that they play is more like a game of chess – but ours won’t be.

“Our job is to go and mess up their chess board as much as we possibly can.

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“I want us to go and be competitive, stop them playing. I don’t want to allow them to settle into the game and get passes and passes and dominate the ball.

“I don’t care if they get 59 per cent possession again like they did against Peterborough, as long as we go and exploit any weaknesses they have and we win the game.

“If they have the ball in areas that aren’t going to trouble us, I won’t lose any sleep over that. When it gets into the right areas we’ve got to go and get all over them and make sure we don’t let them get a foothold in the game.”

Salford have failed to score in their last five games in all competitions.

Simpson said Carlisle must not give a team on such a run any unnecessary advantage.

He said starting the game well is essential, as United have in some of their best away displays this season such as at Tranmere Rovers and Grimsby Town.

“I think when you’re going to places who are struggling to get results, you have to start front-footed,” he said.

“You’ve got to go and get right into them and make it as really difficult as you possibly can.

“I just don’t believe that we’re good enough – and I don’t think I’ve worked with any team that’s good enough – just to sit back and defend for 90 minutes like the Italian teams used to.

“Our mentality has to take the game to the opposition. You have to get a good start, go and get that first goal and not give them the lift.

“If we can do that we can certainly cause Salford problems. If we sit off, they are such a strong possession-based side that they will give us some issues.

“We have to get in their faces, make it difficult, make it ugly if we have to, and give them as many problems as we possibly can.”

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Salford sit a place and a point behind United in ninth under their head coach Neil Wood, the former Manchester United man.

Ex-Carlisle loanee Elliot Watt is with Saturday's opponents Salford (Image: Richard Parkes)

He is the latest boss hired by Salford’s ‘Class of 92’ owners in a bid to further their climb up the pyramid.

Simpson says their recent goal-shy form does not mean they are without genuine goal threats.

“They’ve got goals in their team with people like Marcus Dackers, Matt Smith and Callum Hendry.

“You’ve got [former United loan midfielder] Elliot Watt who’s got great set play delivery. There’s goals in the team. Ethan Galbraith [on loan from Manchester United] can get goals for them, and they’ve got lads on the bench who we couldn’t have in this football club purely on finances alone.

“They’ve got players who can be a real threat. We have to nullify that threat as much as we can, make sure all of our players get into goalscoring positions and go and be ruthless and finish them off.”

Watt is one of two ex-United players in the Salford ranks, defender Ash Eastham the other, while former Blues trialist defender Richard Nartey could also be involved on Saturday.