Ricky Miller has been in the news again this week, this time for all the wrong reasons. He’s been charged with assaulting a police officer and it looks as though his Peterborough United career might be over in much the same way as his last Football league stint ended.
Miller will appear in court later this month following the incident which took place near the Ortongate Shopping Centre on Sunday morning. He’s charged with assault as well as using threatening behaviour and failure to provide a specimen of breath. Peterborough United issued a statement saying he wouldn’t play for the club ‘or the foreseeable future. It read:
“The football club wish to report that Ricky Miller is unavailable for training and team selection due to personal illness and related circumstances. We will be working with him and trying to help in every way that we can as a football club. The player’s welfare is paramount and the football club will not be adding to this statement at this time.”
Miller’s last stint in the Football League also ended rather badly. He signed for Luton Town after a prolific spell at Boston, but his contract was terminated after a season due to an incident after an end of season awards dinner. He was later charged with assault after allegedly head butting a taxi driver, although he was cleared last year.
Controversy follows the front man wherever he goes, his Peterborough career started with a six-game ban after he was found to have bitten a player whilst playing for Dover. Upon signing for Posh, Miller released a statement looking to put the story straight. Well, sort of.
“Whilst I apologise for my actions, I was in a situation in which I was struggling to breathe. I was being held in a head lock by an opponent for 6 seconds, and felt it was my only option to get out of it which was acknowledged by the Football Association when the ban was reduced. It is important to put the incident into a bit of context because I am aware without knowing the full story, people can make judgements, which are not accurate.”
Imagine that, someone jumping to the wrong conclusions when you’re found guilty of biting another player. Wonders never cease.
Now, here’s the thing. Whether he has issues off the pitch or not, he’s a really good footballer who may have jumped too high by signing for a League One side. We’re short on goals, he might be available for at least a loan in the coming months. Would you take him at Sincil Bank?
Miller scored 64 goals in 91 appearances for Dover and he terrorized defences, including ours, so much that he earned his dream move to his home town. He has struggled for goals at Luton and now Posh, but there are goals in him. Sure, he may be a troubled player who needs handling carefully, but Danny once told me you can afford to have one troubled soul at your football club, but two or three begin to cause an issue. Assuming we don’t already have such a character, which I’m sure we don’t, would Ricky Miller be a good fit at City?
The obvious answer is yes, he misdemeanours off the field have no relevance once he steps over the paint. Some of the greatest footballers of all time have carried their demons around with them, players such as Eric Cantona actually thrived on the attention and controversy. Miller started last season on the bench for Dover, but the goals flowed as soon as he became the subject of transfer speculation. Although perhaps recent headlines are not the sort he’ll gain motivation from, he will look to bounce back and with his talent, he will do just that.
Look at how he responded at Dover. As much as I dislike Parmenter and the Crabble Rabble, they gave Miller a chance and he repaid it tenfold. He might not be loyal, he might not be well-behaved or a role model for kids, but football is a results based industry and he scores goals. Goals, as we’re finding out, are a crucial component of being a successful football team.
I would imagine there is as much chance of Danny taking Ricky Miller as there is of us signing Matty Fryatt, but don’t write the idea off just yet. We clearly have a good relationship with Posh after signing Michael Bostwick and Harry Anderson, as well as loaning Anderson last season. The powers that be at London Road might want him to get some game time out of the limelight, somewhere in the division below, maybe somewhere close by?
If we were ever able to bring him to the Bank he would be an enormous asset, just as I think he can be for Peterborough given the right treatment. I suspect Miller is a player that needs to be playing and scoring regularly in order to keep him on the straight and narrow, a player that can go off the rails if he’s out of the side.
I know many fans believe clubs should steer clear of footballers that cause problems off the field, but there have been plenty that have come back stronger than ever. I don’t recall an uproar when we had Ali Fuseini or Moses Swaibu in our side, both appearing in court at various times for different reasons, and they were both crap. If they’d been scoring regularly or influencing results I’m sure we would have further ignored charges (later cleared) of kidnapping as we seemed to at the time.
The wording of the Peterborough statement makes me wonder if there is an issue with the player’s state of mind, if so then I hope he recovers quickly. Whatever is going on with Ricky Miller, nothing will detract from his ability to put the ball in the back of the net and if he were to become available at any time I’d hope Danny could see beyond the off-field issues. If anyone could bring him into a side, nurture him and get the best from him, Danny Cowley could.
Not for me. Undoubtedly talented, but he’ll only do something stupid again and (if he was with us at the time) leave us in the lurch.
No way Jose – personally wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole – if our dressing room is good then it wouldn’t be worth the hassle. Don’t need him or the baggage that would definitely come with it. Imps 4ever
No way here, Leopards and all that. Can do without the hassle.
I don’t think so. Having read DC’s favourite book – Legacy – on the winning mentality of the All Blacks, I would say that he believes in one of the central premises of that book. It is simple – “No Dick-heads”.
I don’t think so. Having read DC’s favourite book – Legacy – on the winning mentality of the All Blacks, I would say that he believes in one of the central premises of that book. It is simple – “No Dxxkheads”.
Hmmmm….thought provoking stuff…….I would have a gamble. Don’t think Danny will though!
Really interesting question. I’m sure Danny and Nicky are capable of handling a disruptive character – but it’s more about the balance in the dressing room I might worry about. Pieterson was/is a brilliant cricketer but (apparently) became so divisive in the changing room that the problem wasn’t so much managing him – more the negative impact on the whole team. If the team spirit was unaffected then worth a try – maybe start with a months loan as a trial?
It’s not Miller time.
For me it is less the off field stuff, and more the list of clubs he has been at. Sure he has been rising up to the top, but are there other reasons for moving around so often?