Where to go with Thomas Müller? The long-time top performer and deputy captain has to fight hard for his position in the Munich team after numerous problems and downtimes in the first half of the season and a disappointing World Cup.
The direct competitors are youngster Jamal Musiala (19) in the tenth position and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (33), who was able to focus on goals as a center forward.
In the strong Munich offensive, coach Julian Nagelsmann plans with the 33-year-old Müller “in one of the two positions up front, tenth or top”, as he said in the training camp in Qatar. “Basically, Thomas can play several positions, but the more central ones suit him the most. He’s very creative when it comes to staging players. It will be one of those positions.”
Only 14 appearances, three goals and six assists
Due to various mandatory breaks, Müller only made 14 appearances in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League in the first half of the season. He has three goals and six assists. “Thomas is an important player for Bayern, an important player for me,” Nagelsmann emphasized in Doha. “He has extraordinary skills, especially when it comes to assists, which also includes one or the other unconventional action in the opponent’s penalty area.”
Of course, Cameroon’s World Cup participant Choupo-Moting “did it very well”. And youngster Musiala is also playing “an outstanding season. Jamal also played a very good World Cup with a very bad quota. Nevertheless, he was a conspicuous player.” However, Müller is also making a very good impression in the current winter preparations, said Nagelsmann and added with a view to the coming months: “We have an extremely large number of games. We need every player in top condition, whether it’s Jamal, Choupo or Thomas .”
If Müller “makes 17 assists again in the second half of the season, then we’ll all be happy. If he makes ten assists and scores ten goals, we’ll be happy too,” said Nagelsmann: “There won’t always be a fixed eleven, we’ll change. We need Thomas and we’re glad he’s healthy again.”
