Despite the appointment of Lage dividing opinion among the Wolves fanbase, it became apparent earlier this year that the former Benfica boss was the go-to man if Nuno Espirito Santo ever departed Molineux.
Nevertheless, even with Lage’s arrival coming as a surprise to no-one, the Portuguese will still have to go work tirelessly to get the best out of a squad which remains in transition.
More players, both young and experienced, will leave the club over the coming weeks, and Lage is far away from being able to work with a settled group.
That said, the instruction will be that those available on Saturday will need to hit the ground running as he looks to move away from the methodical style of play used by Nuno.
All eyes will be on whether Lage is prepared to move away from a back three, but there is also intrigue with regards to how Francisco Trincao will fare having arrived from Barcelona.
While Raul Jimenez will take centre stage on his first outing since fracturing his skull in November, Crewe are motivated to cause a surprise at their home ground.
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Alexandra ended the last campaign by recording 11 points from five matches, resulting in the club finishing in 12th position in the League One standings.
That was deemed more than acceptable for their first season back in the third tier, but David Artell will now be targeting a run at a playoff spot
