\n On the face of it, the Port Vale postponement has given the players extra time to recover from the Plymouth trip on the back of tough encounters against Exeter and Bolton.\n<\/p>\n
\n But Alexander insists it is always mind over matter at this stage of the season when the busy Christmas rush is about to kick in.\n<\/p>\n
\n The City boss said: \u201cWhatever your legs and body have gone through, a lot of the games are in your head.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIf we start thinking, \u2018oh, we\u2019ve had no midweek game and we can relax\u2019, then you can relax too much and that can be a negative force on your body and certainly your mindset. We\u2019ve got to keep the balance right.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Saturday\u2019s visitors Reading had a 10-day gap between their last two games. But they followed up a 3-0 away win at Blackpool by losing at home to Peterborough.\n<\/p>\n
\n Alexander believes his squad have demonstrated they can stay switched on for the long slog of the campaign.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe talk about it in pre-season,\u201d he added. \u201cWhen we\u2019re testing them in Austria, we\u2019re saying, \u2018you know what, this might happen in the season\u2019 and you have to be ready for it.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s getting that in your head and that\u2019s why we\u2019re always ready for the grind.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI don\u2019t say that in a bad way. It\u2019s not a grind playing professional football, it\u2019s brilliant.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cBut you do have to physically work hard and if you let a bit of softness get into your mind, it makes you weak, tired and slow. Our team is not that.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe\u2019re high tempo, we\u2019re fast and aggressive. We have to make sure we control our thoughts at all times and not see this as a chance to relax.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s better to think that you\u2019ll have 10 per cent more energy on Saturday. But it\u2019s alright having it in the pocket, you better go and spend it.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI\u2019m sure the players will still go all out on Saturday, even if they had a game on Tuesday night. I wouldn\u2019t expect anything different.\u201d\n<\/p>\n