Often throughout the season the Gillingham supporters have questioned many team selections and tactics. We have stated our preferred favourites as well as expressing an opinion on players in a more critical tone. One player that does seemed to have got overlooked is Ashley Miller with barely a mention. Obviously being a supporter that likes to see some pace in a side, I took to his style of play straight away but was a little bit more nervous in how easy it appeared to muscle him off the ball. Seems to be a bit of a fragile lad, who needs a few of the bigger lads around to look after him. After all from what I witnessed he certainly was not getting any protection from referees. Perception being if your a big lad that goes down it must have been a foul, if you are on the light side you are to weak and waive play on! Now the reason I raise attention to Ashley Miller is because I was having a read through some of the reports that I wrote during the season. In particular the report regarding the 3-4 defeat at home to Crewe. Someone had mentioned to me about Crewe being in the playoffs and potential to move up to League One, so I just wanted to refresh my memory on their team, not that it needs refreshing but more to do with player ability on the day of their visit to Priestfield. However, my attention was distracted towards our player Ashley Miller via the report, who not only scored the equalising goal on that day which brought us back to 3-3 after being 1-3 down but was also named man of the match. So what happened to the young player after that? He barely got a look in. Did Ashley Miller pick up an injury that kept him out? I did a small piece of research and could not find any such situation reported. Even if he did pick up a knock did he just fall out of favour after that? Remember it was the Danny Spiller sending off that ultimately cost us that game, after which Ashley had to be left alone up front on his own. Now bearing in mind this is a results/performance game, he played for the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 home win against Barnet, in which I remember he was very unlucky not to have scored but at least set up a couple of chances. So the young player put in two great performances after his selection...http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17274664 Quote: Hessenthaler told BBC Radio Kent: "He's got so much pace, I'm excited by him. "[Starting him] could be something to think about, he plays with no fear and is a massive threat to centre halves." End quote. So he was deemed a massive threat to centre halves, reported words of the manager, hence my article title, what did happen to Ashley Miller?
Isn't Miller still at school in Dover? Surely this, a grammar school education I believe, could have something to do with it, end of year exams etc?
He was confined to the bench for the next three games, I believe only making a 10 minute appearance in one of those games.
If he's still in full time education though he will not be fully match fit and will not be training with the first team full time.
Fair enough, then he did even better than I originally first thought on writing the article on our young player if he is still in full time education. Especially if you believe he was not fully match fit and was not training with the first team full time, due to end of year exams. A lot of students struggle with the exams alone without having to play two games of (full) 90 minutes professional football in front of something like 5,000 critical spectators. Scored a goal and assisted a couple, in the absence of any possible high earners. Bearing in mind if other players had been available, he may not even have got selected for the two games he did feature.
I think he has been doing his A levels and the club has managed him just about right. He is a terrific prospect as a 17 year old but his physique does not lend itself to a lot of early first team football. He is a couple of seasons away from being a regular.
