As the old adage goes – ‘form is temporary, class is permanent.’
Thomas Muller is a man low on form at the moment but oozing with class, and to write him off before Germany’s semi-final matchup with France would be doing the 26-year-old an unjust disservice.
It has become apparent that the Bayern Munich forward is not having the best time of it at Euro 2016. Yet to open his goal scoring account and having just become the first German to miss a penalty during a shootout in a major tournament since 1982, Muller has seen better days. However, after a goal laden season in the Bundesliga, it is far too soon to say he will not have an impact on Die Mannschaft’s hopes.
Calling it quits on a player with such enviable goalscoring ability would be folly for any fan.
This is the same man that has 10 goals over two World Cup campaigns and whose presence in the national team has been untouchable since his arrival.
He has thus far drawn a blank in two European Championship tournaments, but after scoring 32 goals in all competitions for Bayern this season his fortunes on this stage are sure to turn around.
The pressure is now firmly on the Die Mannschaft talisman, after injury has ruled Mario Gomez out for the remainder of the tournament. The 30-year-old was having a renaissance in white, but he will have to watch from the sidelines and see if his team can get past the hosts.
Muller is an option for Joachim Loew in a more central role, but may see himself continue to line up in midfield with Mesut Ozil and Julian Draxler, as Mario Gotze plays in a ‘false nine’ capacity.
As he has throughout the competition, Muller will continue to be an outlet in midfield, and while his goals have dried up, he can point to his performances as still above par.
If he does start up front, he will need every part of his game as the focal point of the German attack. As is the way with the national team, they do not rely on one player to be the match winner, and instead focus on a whole team performance, but it will only serve to help his country if he can return to the scoresheet.
His performances did drop toward the end of the season with Bayern and those woes have continued in France, but it is now time for Muller to break his duck.
The French showed some of their defensive vulnerability against Iceland in the quarter-final, and while the game was wrapped up by the time Kolbeinn Sigthorsson scored his countries first, it still showed a lapse in Les Bleus’ defensive concentration.
Starting up front, or even just behind the striker, Muller will be able to find space on the pitch that he can thrive in. With so many attacking weapons around him in the shapes of Ozil, Draxler and Gotze, France will struggle to contain the firepower for 90 minutes.
The often unorthodox footballer, who relies more on his work rate and intelligence than natural God-given talent, will attempt to bully his way past the French back four toward the goal and regardless of whether he gets on the score sheet or not, he will be a thorn in the opposition’s side.
The man himself will admit to this not being his best period. After a season of highs with Bayern in which he lifted the Bundesliga title and the domestic cup, Euro 2016 has thus far been a struggle.
To say he has not been in top form would be correct, to say that he cannot return to his goalscoring heights of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups would be ill-advised.
History shows that the big match players stand up in times like these and Muller is just that. He will not finish Euro 2016 as the Golden Boot, but if he can find his shooting ability he may still finish it as a champion.
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