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.

"My reference point is my own career and I'd rather be told a hard truth than a soft lie, at least you know where you stand," he argues. "As I got older I realised that was the best way to go about it.

"I do want my players to trust me if they can because it's a difficult sport, there's a lot of noise and messages you get from different types of people, I've been there.

"I try to be someone who if they want a bit of plain truth they can get it from me. It helps me sleep at night. I need my kip!

"Sometimes you have to keep an unhappy player but it's good to have communication where they're not wondering what you're thinking.

"I said to Jake there was a lot of talk out there but he hadn't actually heard me speak so I wanted to just put him in the picture about exactly what I thought about the situation and about him. I did the same with Vadaine and I'd do the same with any player that knocks on the door and wants to speak.

"Sometimes I say things they don't particularly want to hear but it is the truth – or my truth, how I see things. Then they can manage the situation because they have more info.

"It's not a case of how can we help you get exactly what you want - contracts are there for a reason, to hold both parties to their responsibilities.

"I felt Jake maybe needed a little bit of empathy and advice on the situation that he might not have had previously. I've experienced a lot as a manager and I've experienced it a few times as a player.

"When he went home, if anyone asked, 'What does the manager think?' he knew exactly how to answer it.

"I think it is important to have that honesty and respect but sometimes two different parties want two different things and you have to find a happy medium. Ultimately my responsibility is to do the best for Bradford City but I also have to take into account my responsibility to each individual player and how I can help them."

In all January’s uncertainties, at least Alexander’s approach is clear.