Whelan, speaking in the Liverpool Echo, said: "They are not a bad team, but like the old school report, they could do better. The likes of Manchester City or Southampton may be content with sixth place, but we are talking about Liverpool.
"They still have a lot going for them, but people are looking for them to step up a gear. I'm sure Gerard Houllier, Phil Thompson and Sammy Lee are desperate for that too.
"Houllier had a lot of changes to make when he first took over and they started to do well, winning cups and improving in the league. Things looked really good. This season, though, it has gone a bit sour. Liverpool have not moved on in the same way Arsenal and Manchester United have. That's worrying.
"When I played on the left side of midfield, and Ray Kennedy before me, we were not exactly John Barnes types. We just did a job in midfield, but we had left-backs willing to run past us while we would hold our position.
"You see the Arsenal and United full-backs getting past their midfielders, but Liverpool seem reluctant to do that. They could gamble a bit more to pose teams more problems. You can't say they are onedimensional, but they have to be prepared to try something different.
"Liverpool have a cup final coming up and they are still in Europe. Hopefully they will claim a trophy this season, but they have to start looking ahead to next season and reaching the same standards as Arsenal and United."