Bradford City's Graham Alexander aims to be up front and adaptable to negotiate January's uncertainties

A short getting-to-know-you period which seemed to crystalise at half-time at Notts County in mid-November was followed by a spell where a settled side followed a clear plan to win six games on the trot.

But then came January, and everything is up in the air.

Harry Lewis, Vadaine Oliver and Emmanuel Osadebe moved on in the transfer window, Sam Walker and Tyreik Wright have come in. We are all waiting to see if Jake Young is back from his loan at Swindon Town or passing through. Who knows what other curveballs await?

This week has mainly been spent training on astroturf – something which has delayed the return of a number of injured players – not knowing if the cold weather would allow them a chance to end a run of six League Two games without a win on Saturday, when Doncaster Rovers were due to visit. At least the decision to postpone it came early, on Friday afternoon.

Keeping on his toes is crucial for Alexander, although he admits it is a lesson he has had to learn in a managerial career which has taken in Preston North End, Fleetwood Town, Scunthorpe United, Salford City, Motherwell and Milton Keynes Dons. So too are the honest conversations which this week led to Oliver joining Stevenage on loan, and Alexander hopes will keep Young – currently injured – at Valley Parade.

"I've only learnt to be adaptable with experience," admits the 52-year-old. "When you go in, you think in December you're going to do that, do that and do this and you get to February and think, 'That didn't happen, this didn't happen and that came from nowhere.'

"Over the years I've learnt to be ready – try and have our ideas and targets for what we want to get out of the window. The ultimate aim is to come out of it better than we came in but it's the same as life, you don't know what can happen tomorrow and you've got to be ready to adapt and not lose your composure.

"It's helped me to manage situations over the last few years and maybe my discussion with Jake has come from my experience. Maybe seven or eight years ago I might have been a bit more abrupt.

"It wasn't just me talking to him, I wanted to see how he felt the whole scenario was going and what he ultimately wanted. I think it's just a grown-up way of doing it.

"When you start you think everything's in your control but you can't control absolutely everything so by having that mindset you can come out with the best outcome. It's the same as anything in life, if you do it enough, you should get better at it."

Experience has also taught him to be up front with players pondering their futures in a transfer window.