Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller: Last season's goal tally tough to live up to

Thomas Muller said he wants to become indispensable for Bayern Munich again after struggling to find his form in front of goal this season.

Last season, Muller, 27, hit 32 goals in all competitions -- his most prolific campaign -- but said it was always going to be hard to live up to that success.

He has scored only five Bundesliga and three Champions League goals this time and endured a 999-minute league goal drought.

"I scored an above-average 20 goals in the Bundesliga last season, and if you raise the bar higher you are measured accordingly," Muller told a news conference on Wednesday.

"Because I didn't score any goals for so long in the first half of the season, it became a topic of discussion. I try and look at it analytically and not emotionally."

Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti has often left Muller on the bench for bigger games this season, preferring to use Spain midfielder Thiago in an advanced role behind top scorer Robert Lewandowski.

But Muller said he would battle to become an automatic choice again, adding: "I want to play a greater role in the future.

"This year I haven't played the role I wanted to in the supposedly big games. Of course, that was down to the first half of the season when things didn't work out for me. But since the winter training camp things are going better."

Germany international Muller will become the sole Bavarian regular at Bayern when Philipp Lahm retires at the end of the season.

But he said: "Of course it's nice to have homegrown players, but it's more important we play good football irrespective of which culture we grew up in. I'm not a romanticist."

Muller, who has been at Bayern for almost 17 years, added: "On the pitch it's all about setting the right example. But that's my purpose anyway. There will not be a fight for some armband or another."

Bayern have been knocked out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage and the DFB Pokal in the semifinals, but Muller said the Bundesliga champions would not lack motivation in the final three games of the domestic season.

They wrapped up a record fifth successive title last weekend and face Darmstadt and Freiburg in their two remaining home games.

"We want to put on a good show for our fans," Muller said. "We also travel to meet our rival RB Leipzig and want to show we are the No. 1 in Germany."

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