United’s second home game of the season is their fifth outing overall, and it’ll be a tough one as they come up against an Orient side that many punters have tipped to do well.
“They’re a well-financed football club with an unbelievably experienced manager,” Chris Beech said. “Kenny’s often done this – and he did at Portsmouth and other clubs he’s been at – but he’ll have his team focused and playing for each other.
“He’ll have Championship players playing in League One. He’s got League One players playing in League Two now.
“He recruits that way and they often provide answers to questions when you’re put on the back foot, like have an outstanding free-kick, or set play going on, and suddenly players are playing freer because they’re winning.
“I’ve seen his teams do that many a time, especially against my old club I worked at. You’re very much thinking you’re having a good game against a well-organised Kenny Jackett team, but somebody in there then pulls something out and does something exceptional.”
“He’s got great people around him, his assistant manager, etc, and he's very calm and organised and from afar, Kenny Jackett, I look up to people like that,” he continued. “I think they’ve got three or four goals, I do know they’ve been from set plays, second phase set plays, and then they scored a goal in free play, but it actually started out as a goal kick.
“They’ve got those goals on the table from those situations. He’ll be looking to enhance that, get his strikers and wide attackers doing really well, but so are we.
“From a footballing perspective, not representing Carlisle or speaking on Kenny’s behalf, I think this game will be a very exciting one. They play with lots of energy, with lots of very good players, they’re very good on the counter-attack, they’re competitive, and they’ve got people who have played higher.
“They have a good mix of everything and I would imagine may even recruit more players before they get to us on Saturday. I’m very excited about that just as a footballing person.”
“As a Carlisle manager, wanting our team to represent three points, we’ve got to be aware of their strengths, stick to our traits and make sure we’re very good at home.
“They’ll come here to upset that, and I have no doubt they’ll do very well over the course of the season.”