Thomas Muller received a great 29th birthday present from Bayern Munich today, having been named the club’s Player of the Month for August 2018.
Bayern Munich could hardly have asked for a better start to life under new manager Niko Kovac. After a solid preseason tour, the German champions kicked off the 2018-19 season in fine fashion.
A 5-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt marked an emphatic victory in Kovac’s first competitive game with his new club, while 3-1 and 3-0 wins over TSG Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart ensured the Bavarians got off on the right foot in the Bundesliga as well.
Though several of Bayern’s players have stood out throughout the past month, one name in particular has outshone the rest: Thomas Muller. The only true Bavarian left in Bayern Munich’s squad has had an exceptional start to his ’18-19 campaign. The Raumdeuter has been particularly impressive in the Bundesliga, where he has registered both a goal and assist in each of his two appearances.
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Muller seems to be loving life under Niko Kovac, who has thus far only played the 29-year-old centrally. His impressive performances have not gone unnoticed either. According to fcbayern.com, Thomas Muller has been voted the club’s August 2018 Player of the Month.
Robert Lewandowski came second in the voting, with 20 percent of the total (compared to Muller’s 30 percent). New signing Leon Goretzka came third with 16 percent of the final vote. Finally, Franck Ribery and Kingsley Coman rounded out the top five, each taking four percent of the vote.
There’s little doubt Thomas Muller deserved the award, but there are several Bayern players whose name could have made it on the trophy. Most shocking, perhaps, is that Thiago Alcantara, who has been fantastic under Kovac, didn’t break the top five.
Nevertheless, Muller’s fine displays throughout the first month of the season warrant the Player of the Month crown.
Hopefully the Raumdeuter can keep up his form throughout the season. Despite ending both of the past two seasons as Bayern’s top provider, his goal-scoring threat has taken a hit. Perhaps Niko Kovac is just the man who can get the former World Cup Golden Boot winner back to his goal-scoring best. Consistently playing him just behind Robert Lewandowski, like Kovac has so far this season, will be a major part in getting the best out of Muller.
According to Muller, Bayern Munich have a lot to prove heading into this season. Even with a new coach and without many additions to their star-studded squad, Muller believes his team can challenge for the Champions League trophy. If he can continue delivering such inspiring performances throughout the season, he’ll certainly be doing his part in helping his team reach European glory again.