How long can Löw ignore Müller’s form?

Since bursting onto the Bayern Munich scene as a lanky 18-year-old when Louis van Gaal was still in charge, Thomas Müller has openly admitted to being an unorthodox footballer. His well-documented unpredictability coupled with a winning mentality have seen him play an integral part in one of the most dominant eras in European football history.

Irrespective of the variety of positions he's played, the World Cup winner has rarely failed to meet expectations. Form fluctuations have been a natural aspect of a near-12-year career in Bavaria and, following a difficult spell in lieu of Pep Guardiola's departure, Hansi Flick has become the latest head coach to unlock the peak of his powers.

Like Jupp Heynckes, Joachim Löw and Guardiola before him, the new man in charge has given the now 30-year-old a license to play to his free-form best and reaped the rewards. In Flick's first 15 Bundesliga matches, Müller has produced 12 of his team-best 16 assists and all-six of his league goals in the current campaign.

The difference-maker

Goal number six not only matched his entire league output from last season, but also helped drag Bayern kicking and screaming over the line against an Augsburg side hell bent on causing their hosts' headaches. "We were vocal in our desire to break them down, but couldn't put that into action,” admitted Müller after the game. "We've got to get ourselves back on track in terms of our stamina and spirit, you could sense a bit of tiredness.”

Unlocking a stalemate in the 53rd minute, Müller put the finishing touches on a delightful ball in behind from Jerome Boateng in a moment that will have given Bayern fans 2014-inspired flashbacks. It was the latest defining moment of purple patch which has grown in importance in light of Robert Lewandowski's spell on the sidelines.

Without their 25-goal top scorer, Bayern have managed to maintain form with the win over Augsburg their 10th of a possible 11 dating back to their only back-to-back losses of the season. With fellow contenders failing to match their returns, the German record titleholders have fashioned a four-point cushion at the Bundesliga summit as a result.

Evergreen Müller 

With Bayern on course to defend their title for an eighth season and Müller producing some of the best form of a club career that already boasts 521 games, 195 goals and 186 assists, questions of an international recall continue to arise.

The Bavaria-native was afforded the honor of earning his 100th international cap, coming off the bench in a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, but was ruthlessly cut from the fold by Joachim Löw in March of last year. Back then fans begrudgingly pointed to a lack of league form during a fractious period under Niko Kovac as the reason for the decision. That logic no longer applies.

This February, Löw was quoted as saying chances of a return to the national team were "slim” for a man, who once seemed destined to break Miroslav Klose all-time World Cup goal scoring record. With Müller's performances only gaining in importance as Bayern compete on three fronts, Löw may not be able to ignore the calls for the return of a German fan favorite for much longer.