Derby County are the Championship's most relentless nearly team.

Season after season they look set for promotion only to fall away at the last hurdle.

Last season they claimed the last play-off position but were seen off by Fulham in the semi-finals.

The 2015/16 season saw them again beaten in the play off semi-finals, this time by Hull City. 2014/15 saw them miss out on the top six by just a point and 2013/14 brought play-off final heartbreak from THAT Bobby Zamora goal.

It is a squad that has failure engrained within it. The likes of Richard Keogh, Craig Bryson and Chris Martin have played through each of these failures.

The new boss

The arrival of Frank Lampard is surprising. Derby County have long been fairly conservative with their choices of manager. Gary Rowett came in after being unfairly sacked by Birmingham, Steve McClaren was a safe pick and Nigel Pearson, like Rowett, had been harshly sacked by Leicester.

So Lampard is in a position where he needs to put his stamp on the squad, and the best way to do that would be to clear out some of the club's ageing furniture.

Not all of it. It would be foolish to get rid of every drop of experience. But with an average age of 29, the squad is not going to improve much more this season and is likely to regress.

Who should go?

Within the squad, they have 11 players who are at least 30-years-old and three more who will turn 30 this coming season.

At least half of these players should be shipped out of the club in order to free up space and wages to bring some fresh, new energy to the club.

In fairness to Lampard it is a process that has already started with Chris Baird, Jason Shackell and Darren Bent all being released.

But it is those who are tied down to contracts and eating up wages that could be used on two or three players that are the concern.

Derby fans, what do you think needs to change before next season?