Despite a strong first season back in the Premier League in which they have earned plaudits for their attacking brand of football, one area that the Leeds have come under scrutiny for is their defending during dead ball scenarios.
However, the Whites were able to hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw in the top flight on Monday at Elland Road with a late equaliser from Llorente, who scored his first goal for his club as he nodded in Jack Harrison’s corner.
Former Leeds star Whelan insists the Whites need to be scoring a lot more from set-plays with the number of free-kicks they earn every match as a result of their high pressing style.
“Win or lose your games, we saw how many we concede [from set-pieces] but we have never managed to really hurt teams from set-pieces as well either”, Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds after the game.
“And you think about the amount of free-kicks we get, amount of corners we get, the style of play we get, really forcing the hand and getting these set pieces, we should be hurting teams a lot more before we have done on [Monday night].”
Whelan explained that Leeds have now become more dangerous from set-piece situations because they have aggressive, aerially-dominant centre-backs in the likes Struijk and Llorente in their ranks.
“I think the added height with Struijk in there, he is aggressive and Llorente [is the reason for Leeds starting to look more dangerous from set pieces].
“It was just about getting the ball into the right areas and getting that quality.”
Having earned four points from back-to-back games against breakaway Super League sides Manchester City and Liverpool, Leeds will now gear up to face another rebel club in Manchester United on Sunday in the top flight.
