Noel Whelan has hit back after being criticised for his comments on Leeds United striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga.

The former White has been clear on his view that the on-loan Hamburg striker is not bringing enough to the party at Elland Road and has called for the club to dip into their funds this month to sign a new hitman.




Whelan was again critical of Lasogga following Leeds' 0-0 draw at home with Nottingham Forest on New Year's Day and revealed that he has been asked by Whites fans why he hates the German striker.

The former forward insists he is desperate for Lasogga to succeed, but will always say things as he sees them and is sure the German is not as mobile as Chris Wood or Nottingham Forest hitman Daryl Murphy; it was suggested that Murphy is as slow as Lasogga but scoring in the Championship.
 


"Chris Wood is quicker than Lasogga by the way, so is Daryl Murphy, by probably a stretch", Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds.

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"I don't hate him. He's a Leeds player. I want him to do well.

"But he hasn't got the pace to get in behind. What do you want me to say?

"I'm sorry. We need somebody with pace."

And the former Leeds star continued: "This Lasogga thing is driving me nuts. People text me all the time and say why do you hate Lasogga. I don't hate Lasogga. I want him to succeed.

"But what I see is not what we need. Someone that size should be holding the ball up nine times out of ten, backing into players and being aggressive and using that body. That's just a fact.

"I don't want anyone who pulls on a white shirt to fail here. I want them to be great strikers and goalscorers, but they've got to do it.

"I can't have people keeping giving excuses for him, he needs fitness, he needs matches."

Whelan insists that Lasogga could benefit from shedding some of his considerable muscle in order to become more mobile.

"Look at the size of him, there's no fat on him, that's muscle.

"But he needs to bring more. Whether he needs to work on fitness and shed a little of that muscle to be more lean and athletic, which will help his game and help us", he added.

Lasogga is on loan for the season from Bundesliga outfit Hamburg and, with no purchase option in the deal, could be heading back to Germany at the end of the season.