If you were speaking to Thomas Müller this time last year you might have come across a very different man to the relaxed and mischievous persona the Bayern forward usually displays.
And why wouldn’t he be playful or happy or fun coming off the back of a treble winning season last term, including a record eighth Bundesliga title in a row, a Champions League triumph for the first time in seven years, and a record year of assists in the league.
“We’re surfing this wave week in week out dominating games. We just have this hunger and keep driving ourselves on.”
It was just over a year ago today that Niko Kovac left the club as manager by mutual consent following a 5-1 drubbing by Eintract Frankfurt.
Müller was in the team for that game but often found himself left out in the cold having not been selected on six previous occasions by former Croatia and Bayern Munich midfielder Kovac.
“You’re never satisfied when you’re not playing – there it was six times running – but it’s history now.”
That shrug of the shoulders and thick skin is a surprising facet in the often outwardly expressive Müller, who has gained admiration not just for his selfless work on the pitch but also his emotive style of play, celebrating with glee, perplexed at frustration and often grinning his way through games while giving one hundred per cent effort.
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When Kovac left, Bayern had dropped points in five of ten league games and were sitting second in the table four points behind Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Bayern appointed Kovac’s assistant Hansi Flick to fill the void “for the time being”, but no-one imagined how well Flick would turn round the Bavarian giant’s fortunes.
Flick won twenty-three of his opening twenty-six games in charge of Bayern (two better than Guardiola) and matched Jupp Heynckes’ club record of ten league wins in a row, but more impressive than that he led Bayern to the Promised Land of a Bundesliga, Champions League, German Cup treble.
“If you imagine it as a stock value, since Hansi took over it’s shot up for the whole club and me personally.”
Müller’s stock has certainly risen immeasurably under Flick, who instantly reasserted the forward as an integral part of the team, and Hansi was rewarded.
Müller broke a league record with twenty-one assists last season and has been directly involved in twelve goals this term (six goals and six assists in fifteen matches).
Müller also recently broke Oliver Kahn’s record of the most Bundesliga wins with the club, getting his 260th 3-points in the 2-1 victory over Cologne on matchday six.
Eyes only for Bayern
“You’re never satisfied when you’re not playing, but it’s history now.”
There was never a question who Müller wanted to play for having been a childhood supporter of Bayern growing up fifty miles outside of Munich.
He joined the Bayern youth set-up in 2000 aged eleven and was promoted to the first team in 2008 aged nineteen.
Müller’s been involved in the club’s senior set-up for thirteen seasons now and in that time he’s won an inordinate amount of trophies, including eight league titles in a row.
Since 2013 no club other than Bayern has raised the Meisterschale and Müller says there is no desire to stop that from happening.
“We’re surfing this wave week in week out dominating games. It’s no small thing to keep delivering the goods like that but we just have this hunger and keep driving ourselves on.”
Next for the Bayern supercar is a trip to promoted Stuttgart who re-entered Bundesliga again this season having yo-yoed in and out Germany’s top flight the last four years.
Bayern will be more determined than ever to beat VfB having been held to a frustrating draw after coming from behind against Bremen in their last league encounter.
One thing’s for certain, Müller will have a front seat role in the game and almost as certain is Bayern getting over the line first.
VfB Stuttgart v Bayern Munich, Saturday 28th November, 230pm KO (GMT)
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 