'Strength in depth is needed next season'

[BBC]

[Getty Images]

It's officially crunch time in the Championship, with the race for promotion and the play-offs both well and truly on.

Following defeat at Southampton last Saturday, the Rams now have a very slim chance of finishing in the top six.

If one thing epitomises Derby just falling short this season, it will be the significant injuries to two key players, Patrick Agyemang (pictured) and Bobby Clark, during the run-in.

Agyemang and Clark have racked up over 5,600 combined Championship minutes this campaign, with both of them individually averaging more than 60 minutes per game.

Due to injuries and absences impacting the entire squad throughout the season, the pair have perhaps been heavily relied upon more than John Eustace would have wanted them to be.

With the effects of a gruelling season impacting two of the standout performers, it is crucial Derby focus on building quality strength in depth for next season, particularly if they want to challenge for promotion.

It is no coincidence that Coventry City sit top of the table when they were able to bring on Ephron Mason-Clark, Haji Wright and Jack Rudoni in a triple substitution against the Rams just three games ago.

Similarly, last weekend, we saw high-flying Southampton introduce Shea Charles, Samuel Edozie, Kuryu Matsuki and Cyle Larin from the bench.

Out of the seven players mentioned above, you would expect at least five of them to be good enough to make Derby's current starting line-up, let alone the bench.

Having a deeper squad will give Derby that extra firepower to perhaps make the difference during a tight game.

But more importantly, it will also help to take the strain off those players who become undroppable during an injury crisis, allowing them to stay fit for the entirety of the season, rather than running out of steam towards the business end.

Had Derby had better options off the bench this season, rotation would have been easier for Eustace.

Therefore, demand would have decreased on the players, allowing them more time to rest and recover, and perhaps the injuries Agyemang and Clark sustained at the end of this season would have been avoided.

Then you take a look at some of the games Derby couldn't quite see out this season, such as Watford at home, Southampton away, Coventry away and Middlesbrough away.

You wonder whether, if the Rams had reinforcements to call upon, they may have been able to pick up a few more crucial points in those matches, which could have led them into the final stages of the season in a much stronger position in the table.

Alas, Derby are where they are, in eighth, and five points off sixth-placed Hull City with four matches remaining.

Despite a campaign which has exceeded the expectations of many supporters, Derby must look to progress again next season, and strength in depth will no doubt be a key factor in whether they do that or not.

You can often catch Amelia Warren as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.