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#2 Thomas Muller
With Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez and the just-signed Ivica Olic in the squad, any manager could’ve been forgiven for not giving youth a chance and sticking with a 4-4-2 formation, which the team was accustomed to. van Gaal, however, with his typical boldness and astute judgement, gave youth a chance.
Thomas Müller was one of the players whom he handed a run of games with the first team. Adept at playing the role of a withdrawn striker, roaming around the spaces between the defense and midfield lines, Müller was a difference-maker to the Bayern XI right from his initial days. He announced himself on the big stages with a brace against Dortmund in the league and another against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League.
Müller went on to play in almost every game of the 2009-10 season, keeping out the likes of Klose and Gomez from the starting lineup. He played an important role in van Gaal’s squad as they won the League and Cup double and made it to the Champions League final. He was handed a spot in Germany’s 2010 World Cup squad on account of performances in his debut season. Ever since, Müller has been one of Bayern’s most important players.
