"Müller was everything better"

[chinra.livejournal.com]

Thomas Müller gave his best against Rome - as always. Then Julio Sergio outstandingly wards off a shot of him in and the commentator judges: "Back then he would have gotten it in." Back then? We bring the time continuum back in order.

Thomas Müller slogged away. He ran. He straddled. Indefatigable, edgy, hard to himself. One always thinks everything hurts him twice as much because he has so little flesh on his bones, but never he is rolling on the ground longer than needed, soon he slogs again, runs, straddles.

That boy loves to play football, loves to win, he does everything for it; it is as if he barely can sleep out of excitement for the next assignment - like a tiny tot who, in the dawn of the first day of Christmas, still in his pyjamas plays with his new railway toy.

Barely over a year the Bundesliga knows the phenomenon Thomas Müller, the homo ludens, the playing human, who embodies the opposite of the much-criticised surfelt and complacence in the pro-business. 19 goals scored in the 52 official matches 2009/2010, during the Wold Cup he won the golden boot. He just became 21 years old, about a decade of high performance football area head of him, big matches, big tournaments - in short: the best is still ahead.

All the more surprising is the sentence that left the lips of the SKY-commentator Kai Dittman during the match of FC Bayern versus AS Rom yesterday evening. For one hour the boys from Munich, especially Müller, ran against the iron curtaint of the Italians, then finally Toni Kroos found the first gap, shot, Julio Sergio warded if off outstandingly, a turmoil, then Müller, shot, again the keeper, very fast down, even more outstanding. Two parries which prove him to be a great player. But instead of praising him, Dittmann hit Müller with a stick: "Back then he would have gotten it in."

Crises are going to come - he will see them as challenges

Also for Thomas Müller it will not always go upwards. He won't score for a while, then the minutes will be counted which elapsed since his last goal. He will be the object of transfer rumous, will receive competition, will have to prove himself. He will be injured. However, there exist reasons for great hope that he will overcome those crises, that he won't even see them as such, but just as challenges. That obviously is his mindset: the one of a nature-boy who seizes.

Also after his second thwarted chance he didn't break down on the pitch, he hasn't sold his smile like his teammate Mario Gomez, who contrary seems to sense challenges as crises. Thomas Müller instead tore at his hair and of course: he was annoyed. But then something one-off happens: He appreciatively looks in Julio Sergio's direction and applauds him. The homo ludens knows that a match always also is a competition of sportsmen. Only when someone is approximately equal it starts to be real fun.

That is something SKY-inquisitor Kai Dittman obviously missed. "Back then he would have gotten it in," he whirred.

But when should this legendary "back then" have been in the biography of such a young player? In the D-youth? Or in the last season which was just quarter of a year ago, which surely doesn't deserve to be called "back then"? And what should have changed since then?

Seemingly only the requirements of Müller which turned into hope for salvation: From now on until forever he should score ten times each match. Everything else is a crisis.

Why all this pathos, this kitsch? 

The goal that he would have done back then he simply scores a bit later. Easily. In the 79th minute he shoots the ball from a half-right position with the sidefoot in the long corner. No chance this time for Julio Sergio, the pay of all efforts, the 1:0. And Dittmann announces the crisis, which he himself proclaimed to exist, for overcome.

Why all this pathos, this kitsch, this soap-opera like story of rise and fall? Fortunately: That in those 90 minutes Thomas Müller was crucified and thanks to the commentator's mercy was allowed to revive again, he missed. And even if: The homo ludens would have given a damn. He just wants to play.

Source

The title is supposed to be a different version to the infamous "Back then everything was better." people often say. Not my idea, they wrote it. And it's fiting for this article.
I think it's a rather sweet article. It has me remember a comment van Gaal made: "This season wil be hard for Thomas Müller." It probably will be. But not so much because he won't score anymore or forgot how to play, but because everyone expects him to win all matches by himself. And Thomas? He misses all of this, gives a damn and just goes out and plays. Boy is doing it right.

Comments

[potterpie.livejournal.com]

beautiful goal last night