Thomas Müller: Germany's 'Raumdeuter' rises once again

Whether on the training field, social media or during a game, a laugh and a joke from Thomas Müller is never far away.

As Germany's players signed autographs on Saturday for around 300 fans from around the area near their base camp in Bavaria, Müller was full of jokes.

When Kai Havertz responded to a question as to who would win the Euros with "Germany," Müller responded: "Great work Kai, you've qualified for the team!"

The proud Bavarian's return to the Germany side was, in the end, unsurprising. His form and the lack of a clear attacking leader left Joachim Löw with little choice and, spurred on by the renewed energy of this being his final tournament, Löw brought back the man he banished in 2018.

With his loud voice — hence the nickname "Radio Müller" — Müller has always been a big personality in any squad.

But beyond the noise lies a brilliant, unique player, as he made clear back in an interview in 2011 when he described his role using the German term Raumdeuter, the space interpreter.

Already at Euro 2020, Müller has made clear how important his interpretation is to this team.

Müller, the enabler

"At Bayern, we play with two wide attackers who we give the ball to and ask them to go into one-on-one situations, which means, I have more time to find space and become a finisher again," said Müller at a press conference on Saturday, elaborating on the differences between his roles for Germany and his club.

"Here, though, I am more in the half spaces," he explained, referring to those important areas of the field in between the center and the wings. "It's more of a precursory role. I'm drawn to the ball, my job is to create and to give impetus to the team."

Even though he is interpreting less and instigating more for Germany, the pockets of space he finds, occupies and exploits and the ripple effect that he has on both the opposition and his teammates is immense.

Without Müller's movement, Kai Havertz could not have delivered the performance he did against Portugal. And, despite not being fully fit, his presence in the final 20 minutes against Hungary helped make life harder for a tiring Hungarian defense.

As for that troublesome knee injury, the plasters were off and Müller was back fully involved with the team on Saturday. The day off Löw had given the players on Friday appears to have done him some good. "If I had problems, I wouldn't have trained today," he said. "I'm confident it won't be a problem for Tuesday."

Germany's collective spirit

Müller's return is enormous for Germany, and will pose problems for last 16 opponents England. The 31-year-old's ability to find or arrive in the space when the time is right has so far enabled his teammates to shine.

"We are a team that can only be successful if the collective works," Müller said. "We don't have one player who dominates world football; we have a lot of team players who understand how to play a key role. That is a strength of football in Germany. Whenever we've been successful, it was as a team."

The team-first mentality is what most champions are made of but, in Müller and his ability to manipulate space, Germany do indeed have a player who dominates.

His understanding of movement is what separates him from so many, and what Germany miss so much when he's missing. The only thing missing for Müller now are the goals.

"I haven't got into shooting positions as much as I would have liked but you can't have it all," said the Bayern Munich man. "I would like to score my first goal at the Euros but it's important that we win. If I have fewer goals or assists in my position, even though I'm still on the hunt for them, then I can also sleep well with that. I'll do what is needed to win."

With Havertz in great form and the likes of Leon Goretzka also stepping up from midfield, perhaps Germany need Müller's movement more than his goals at the moment.

Müller on Kane: 'Great strikers are patient'

However, when Müller was asked about England captain Harry Kane's troubles in front of goal, were it not for the word striker it sounded like Müller was talking about himself.

"The great strikers are patient. A striker is always waiting for his chances. Usually he has the fewest touches and, if it goes well, the biggest picture in the newspaper afterwards."

Other than his injury, Müller hasn't made the headlines so far this tournament. However, come Wednesday morning, it won't be a surprise if his face is on the front pages.

After all, his timing — if not his jokes — has always been impeccable.