Thomas Müller - His time is now

And then footballing philosopher extraordinaire Pep Guardiola took the reins at Barcelona, and changed the footballing landscape as we knew it. The master inspired a tactical revolution that saw Lionel Messi take up the role of the now-famous false number nine; a move that elevated the Blaugrana’s tiki-taka style to previously unmatched heights.

The inevitable changing of the guard saw Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern mercilessly tear apart Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of that Champions league semi-final, and then feast on the mutilated carcass with a 3-0 thrashing in the second leg in front of a shell-shocked Catalan support.

How fitting, then, that Müller was on the score sheet three times over those two legs. He may just be the best finisher in this imperious Bayern machine, but his true value and influence goes far beyond that.

His movement and energy in the area in and around the penalty box is unmatched, and ably aided by the wing play of the two-headed monster christened Robbery. The industry of Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez frees him to roam as he pleases, wreaking havoc with his penchant for cropping up everywhere.

In fact, the man himself calls the role one of Der Raumdeuter. Roughly translated, it means “interpreter of space”; one term that does do justice to his pivotal role in the team.

I would go so far as to say that Müller is the heart and soul of this great Bayern team. Laugh all you want, but then remember what a puzzled Zinedine Zidane had to say about Claude Makélelé’s departure from Real Madrid, and David Beckham’s imminent arrival – “why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the engine?”

Müller truly came into his own and made a place for himself in this supremely talented Bayern team at a time when they had lost two Champions League finals in three years. If the loss against a resurgent Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan was infuriating, then the defeat against an inspired Didier Drogba’s Chelsea had the potential to condemn them to being remembered by history as being “nearly-men”.

A young Müller, who had tasted similar agony on the international stage with his far more renowned teammates in Schweignsteiger and Lahm, could have been swallowed in this sea of despair. Instead the youngster has grown into their unheralded hero, a man who epitomizes the spirit that has taken this Bayern team to the pinnacle of greatness.

Fact – in the 37 games that Thomas Müller has scored in the Bundesliga, Bayern have won 34, and drawn three. Almost as if the composure that is evident in his every action reaches out to his teammates on another level, enabling them to close out games, or come from behind, as the situation so demands.

Curiously, it is Pep Guardiola himself who is in charge of Bayern Munich today. He came out all guns blazing when he first enticed Mario Götze to join him at the Allianz Arena, in a move that many have seen as a ploy to play Götze in the role made famous by a little Argentine. Disciple Thiago Alcântara has also followed his master without complaint.

Amid the promising new faces and the illustrious old ones, Guardiola may find that the inspiration to his next masterstroke may well have been hiding in the shadows all along. If that is so, then it is about time that the world, too, took notice of a man who has spent his young career defying stereotypes. His time is now.