The strange Müller story: forever goalless, always flawless


The strange Müller story
Forever goalless, always flawless

By Tobias Nordmann

After the national soccer team’s furious European Championship victory against Portugal, there is mainly one man in Germany: Robin Gosens. Others were good too, of course. For example Thomas Müller. Or not? The reviews of him vary widely.

We know a lot about Thomas Müller. For example, that he has a girlfriend who rides successfully. Just kidding (even if it’s true). We also know about Thomas Müller that he particularly likes it when you don’t press him into a fixed system when playing football. The fact that the national coach had recently explained to the media world that it didn’t depend on the task anyway, but on the interpretation of the tasks, that suits Thomas Müller in particular. The way he plays football, the way he fulfills his assignments on the pitch, is often described with awkward words like free spirit, spatial interpreter or crawling cat.

But Thomas Müller is of course much more than the man who simply moves elegantly and unconventionally between the lines. This is what it is now called when a footballer does not have extensive position loyalty. Thomas Müller takes on important communication and leadership tasks in the field. He’s always greedy. Always bilious. Doesn’t shy away from a duel, annoys his opponents in small, nickely duels. There are a lot of good arguments that Joachim Löw rightly got the man from FC Bayern back into the DFB team after more than two and a half years. Together with Mats Hummels. Together with Mats Hummels, he carries the hopes for a successful European Championship, after grueling months, maybe even years, in which the national team and the DFB had rocked themselves out sportily and emotionally with numerous dropouts.

A consequence of this: Löw’s voluntary withdrawal after this tournament. It’s supposed to be a retreat with a happy ending. Not as frustrating as the 2018 World Cup in Russia. When Germany had mercilessly embarrassed itself, the coach seemed removed, the team was distracted and did not harmonize. Much actually seems different these days. Which is also due to Müller. He’s fully there again, emotionally and athletically. Both in the 1-0 defeat against France at the beginning he was in the starting line-up. And now in the 4-2 win against Portugal. Of course, that was not surprising. After the hopeless bankruptcy against the “Equipe Tricolore” other players were discussed. About Kai Havertz, for example. Or about Ilkay Gündogan.

Part of the important World Cup part

Müller is naturally set as a manager. As part of the world championship axis from Manuel Neuer in goal, from Hummels as head of defense, from Toni Kroos as strategist in midfield and from Müller on the offensive. This quartet guides the team and gives it stability. And if somebody has to get out, like Hummels against Portugal, it is at the expense of this stability. Until his replacement, Hummels received top marks from the respective observers because of something on his knee. Kroos was also highly praised because he set the rhythm, ran a lot and straddled. At Neuer, everyone agreed that he was to blame for the goals conceded, even if his action before the second against preparer Cristiano Ronaldo looked a bit strange. But presumably the ball actually ticked so stupidly that the DFB captain couldn’t do anything. And then there is Müller. There was great disagreement about his appearance.

Some observers put him in almost the same category as the spectacular match winners Robin Gosens, Joshua Kimmich and Kai Havertz. Others found him hustling as always, but not happy in his actions. In fact, the 31-year-old is dragging a bizarre series with him. He just doesn’t want to score at the European Championships. Even in the 13th game he remained without a sense of achievement. And to be honest, he wasn’t that close either. Others took care of the spectacle. The really phenomenal Gosens, Kimmich, who apparently accepted his role on the right and make the best of it. Three goal participations, for example. And of course Kai Havertz, who not only cleared away his opponents in between, but was also always oriented towards a good, creative, successful solution.

And then there was Müller in between. Sometimes on two legs, sometimes kneeling, sometimes lying. Often in a duel, rarely in good final situations. But probably that was exactly what helped this team. The way he claimed the ball in front of Gosens’s first goal (it was offside), when he stumbled, when he fell, and then played it to Kimmich, that was typical of Müller. Typical Müller is also: If it doesn’t work out on the offensive with successful actions, then he defines his performance through commitment, will, passion and his obsession for success. About his role as a driver and motivator. How he cheered Havertz immediately after the 1: 1 he had forced (by own goal), explaining routes to him – always important.

That he extended the long leg again in stoppage time, when the Portuguese accepted the defeat after a small, powerful intermediate high, to prevent a flank from the center circle, it says everything about this type of Müller. But what does it actually mean that offensive actions didn’t work out? With the second goal he spooned the decisive cross into the penalty area on Kimmich, whose sharp ball into the middle finally forced the own goal. And at 3: 1 it was again Müller who played the penultimate pass. This time on Gosens, whose cross Havertz used. However, it was the highlight of his game, which occasionally did not seem well coordinated with his colleagues.

And now? Portugal euphoria after disillusionment with France? Müller: “We had a lot of good aspects, but also a lot of things that we still have to improve. Something like that can cost points in the end. Now we have three points, now we are good in the tournament and we have it in our own hands. Now we can we don’t overtax and don’t become arrogant – but we can believe in our quality. We can feel a little euphoria. ” That too is Müller, he has a feel for the mood in the country. And that’s good now.

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