Thomas Müller saw a refreshing return to form in the Bayern Munich starting XI against Mainz. Let’s take a look at his qualities, his sources of struggle and how Carlo Ancelotti could make the most of this performance going forward as the season progresses.
It goes without saying that Thomas Müller’s performance against Mainz made a strong statement: Müller is not a bench warmer. He is one of Bayern Munich’s most lethal and unpredictable weapons. However, it also goes without saying that not all has been well as of late with the otherwise world-class player.
The 2016 Euros are more or less the starting point for the raumdeuter’s woes. The German had an admittedly weak tournament, and complications carried over into Carlo’s first season as manager. Thomas only managed five goals in the entirety of the 2016/17 Bundesliga campaign. Just as notably, however, he did tally up the league’s second highest assists, only behind RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg.
Müller’s most evident strengths
It’s devastating that Müller’s talents still need justification in 2017. The Bavarian has provided countless highlights throughout his career since rising through the youth ranks. Müller’s unconventional style of play is what makes him a rare gem in soccer.
Over the years, Thomas has filled the role of the “pseudo-forward” well. He plays at his best when he is tucked just behind the actual striker in the lineup. This allows him to develop a chemistry with the forward, creating flexibility between the both of them.
The forward Thomas links up with the best is of course Robert Lewandowski. The two have an excellent relationship on the pitch, constantly playing off one another’s strenght. For Lewandowski’s benefit, this means Thomas can act as both a target and a distraction. This means when Lewandowski is on the ball, Müller makes runs to pull attention off him, allowing for the Pole to take chances of his own.
Conversely, this also makes Thomas an outlet when given the chance. The dynamic relationship between the two is evident. During Lewy’s and (arguably) Müller’s best statistical season — the 15/16 campaign — the duo contributed a total of 50 of Bayern Munich’s goals.
Crowding rosters and formation troubles
Thomas is still trying to break free from the woes of yesteryear, but recent transfers to the squad haven’t made anything easier. This summer saw Bayern finalize some of the biggest transfers in recent years. The additions of Corentin Tolisso, Sebastian Rudy, and James Rodriguez — on top of regulars Thiago, Vidal and Müller himself — make for a stacked midfield. While a great problem to have from a managerial perspective, it’s one that complicates things for the Bavarian.
While not all of these players outrank Müller, rotation makes it harder to break his slump. In addition, Carlo’s stubborn 4-3-3 last year frustrated Müller even when he would feature. Having to be a makeshift winger in the three-man forward line restricted the German’s best qualities.
Having to refrain from being the raumdeuter he excels at to somehow fill the role of a pacy winger, linking up the right flank’s attack takes the bite out of his play. Aside from assuring Müller plays as an attacking-midfielder behind Lewandowski, using James could complement both of these tremendous talents.
A potential Müller-James connection
Despite Bayern’s abysmal preseason, one positive was the chemistry between the German and Colombian. Unfortunately, due to injury and rotation, we’ve yet to see the two in the same starting XI in a competitive match.
We finally saw James Rodríguez feature in the starting lineup against Anderlecht. While he didn’t tally any assists or goals, James had a promising display as an energetic roaming attacking midfielder. He was involved all around the pitch and picked out some sublime passes from time to time.
While James also isn’t a natural winger, he’s proven in his time prior to Bayern that he can adapt there if needed. Against Mainz, Müller played in the center behind Lewandowski, but with the freedom to roam, he would drift out wide occasionally. This was seen evidently from his excellent assist for Lewandowski’s first goal.
Perhaps playing a formation allowing Müller to play flexibly in center-attacking-midfield with James out wide would bring out the best of both players. Obviously, when Thomas is restricted to just wing-play, the German falters. But if James can prove at Bayern that he can adapt out wide, Müller can play in his best position and the two can play off of each other seamlessly.
By not restricting either players to one section of the pitch, the two can drift in and out of each others’ positions, finding pockets of space to exploit for goal-scoring chances. Robert Lewandowski would obviously reap the benefits of this dynamic as well.
Next: Bayern Munich: Four takeaways from win over Mainz
Time to experiment vs. Schalke
Having these two stars together on the pitch is mouthwatering, but there’s only one way to test this. With rotation being fairly frequent already at the beginning of this season, tomorrow’s match against Schalke could be the perfect opportunity. Arjen Robben is out of tomorrow’s match with a flu, and this could be the best time to test this theory.