Now we know what Thomas Müller does, or do we?
Before the game, Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Müller gave an interview where he said he still wasn’t sure what his role would be under Vincent Kompany. Some have speculated that this would be the season that Müller winds down his career, with a view to retirement next summer.
This game just put all those narratives to rest. Thomas Müller is clearly in Vincent Kompany’s plans. Only one question remains — where does he play, exactly? Against Ulm, the 34-year-old started as a central striker, with Mathys Tel and Serge Gnabry playing on either flank and Jamal Musiala playing behind him. Then, around the 70th minute, the coach subbed on Harry Kane for Musiala, and Müller settled in next to him to create a two-striker setup (or a double attacking midfielder setup), akin to a 4-2-4.
While Müller played the same way he always has — exploiting gaps in the opposition defense via his movement and vision — his actual position on the pitch remains an enigma. When Harry Kane plays, he looks like an advanced attacking midfielder. When it’s Musiala, he plays like a true striker (or at least a false nine).
So, what happens when both Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala play? Does Thomas Müller find a place on the starting XI with both of them fit and available, or does he drop to the bench? For now, he’s making a strong case for his inclusion — let’s see what Kompany decides going forward.
Vincent Kompany’s stubborn refusal to overcomplicate
After years of coaches trying to reinvent the wheel, it’s nice to have someone who remembers to stick to the basics.
Photo by Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images
Vincent Kompany has refused to bring a revolution to Bayern Munich. His preferred formation is the 4-2-3-1, which Bayern have been using since the Van Gaal days. He likes to use inverted wingers and overlapping fullbacks. He likes keeping possession and intense gegenpressing. Most importantly, he hasn’t benched Thomas Müller (yet).
The substitutions exemplify this mindset. Instead of trying to change the shape of the team with overly clever subs, Kompany stuck to bringing on like-for-like. He subbed attackers for attackers, midfielders for midfielders. He refused to touch the defense (until the very end), which is only natural in a knockout tournament like the DFB-Pokal.
Coaches sometimes tend to dislike substitutions because they can upset the balance of the game, yet Kompany used all five of his subs without his team missing a beat. The players who came on immediately slotted into simple roles and got straight to work. The only one who had to adjust was Thomas Müller, as he dropped in next to Harry Kane — but Müller has more than enough game intelligence to make adjustments like that on the fly.
As a result, Bayern Munich managed to play a full 90 minutes without any noticeable drops in intensity. The subs were harmoniously integrated — they didn’t upset the established rhythm. Of course, there were still occasional mental lapses (especially in defense), but it’s a great start for the coach in his first competitive game of the season.
Yeah, Michael Olise might be a big deal
The guy just got here, he’s barely had any training sessions with the team. Yet he still managed to pull off an assist to Kingsley Coman (possibly one of the worst finishers at Bayern Munich) with his very first touch of the ball.
That’s one hell of a way to make a first impression.
For now, his lack of familiarity with the team was apparent. Shortly after Coman’s goal, Olise laid off a ball for Thomas Müller and then cut inside, but didn’t run into space — thereby missing the return pass from the Raumdeuter. If Olise had been more familiar with Müller’s game, he could have anticipated the return and run diagonally into the box instead of cutting horizontally across — which would have almost certainly lead to a goal.
That sort of familiarity comes with training. For now, Olise has made an excellent impression with his first appearance in a Bayern shirt. We hope he continues to bloom as he integrates into the team, and the coaches keep a close eye on his fitness.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s dominant 4-0 win over SSV Ulm in the DFB-Pokal? Good, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show where we break down the starting XI, the scoring and subs, who stood out vs. who fell short, the Leon Goretzka situation, and a whole lot more. Check out the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
