Leeds United are currently in seventh place in the Championship table.
Leeds were in the Championship play off spaces for much of last campaign, but they collapsed at the end of the season and ended up falling out of the top six spots.
And Ayling believes that Leeds’ struggles came as a result of former boss Garry Monk not rotating his squad enough.
Monk tended to be against tinkering with his line-up, but Thomas Christiansen has shown more willingness to rotate.
Ayling believes that Leeds’s squad is now far stronger than it was last term, and the defender feels that will help towards the end of the campaign.
“It became very hard towards the end of the season,” Ayling said.
“Players were playing in every game and our squad wasn’t really that big. It wasn’t like it is now, or how it feels to me now.
“We have got 22 players here who all think they should be playing, whereas last year you could probably name eight of the starting XI every week. After that, there probably wasn’t the competition.
“Now we have got real competition for places. There are players in every position who can step in, no problem. So that will keep us hungry and fresh for a long season and for the part of the season where you need to stay in there.”
Leeds have enjoyed a positive first half to the campaign, but they lurk just outside the play off spaces as things stand.
The Whites have climbed into seventh place, and their recent good form is starting to put pressure on the top six.
Leeds won their last match against Norwich City, to extend their unbeaten streak to four.
The Whites are next in action on Saturday, when they take on Hull City.
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