Ben Herd / Ben Herd / 21 April 2010 / Leave a comment " class="free-bet-btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">Free Bet

Sidelined through injury he may be but Ben Herd continues to catch up with his opponents at the end of Aldershot matches for a bit of banter. This week's interviewee is Crewe's Ashley Westwood.

"At the beginning of the season our aim was to bounce straight back from relegation and return to League 1. We nearly got dragged into a relegation scrap, so you could say that we have let ourselves down. Now it’s just a case of writing off this season and preparing for next year."

Well, it was a frustrating afternoon for me down at 'The Rec'. I had to sit the game out against Crewe due to an ankle injury and then had to watch Crewe take the lead within the first minute. You do get a totally different outlook on the game watching from the stands and sometimes it is good to take a step back and analyse the game from there. Hopefully, the injury won't keep me out all season and I'll be back in an Aldershot shirt before May 8th. This week in the hot seat for betting.betfair is another product off the Crewe academy's conveyor belt, Ashley Westwood. Here is what he had to say:

So Ashley, what did you make of the game on Saturday?

We came into the game really needing to get a positive result, as we have been on a really poor run of form recently and with Grimsby looking to get out of the relegation places, the pressure was on us a little bit. We couldn't have asked for a better start, taking the lead after only 56 seconds and were on top for most of the game creating, numerous guilt-edged chances that we probably should have converted. Aldershot's goal was a bit of a freak, straight from a corner, so we were a little unlucky there. But in the end a point was enough to guarantee us safety and meant we haven't got sucked into a relegation battle.


Gudjon Thordson left the club earlier in the season and with Dario taking charge again, how has that impacted on the club?

Gudjon had us really chomping at the bit in pre-season, he gave me my full debut and I will always be thankful for that. I think his downfall was that he was a bit "long ball" in his approach and Crewe is renowned for getting the ball down and playing in the right way. Gudjon also didn't seem to take much notice of the club's academy, again I don't think that helped him. Dario has been back in charge since and he has continued to play me, so that's always a good thing for a young player. Dario always says "concentrate on playing football," which is also good to hear because he wants us to become better players and for us to play the game in the right way.

Would it be fair to say Crewe have underachieved this season?

Massively. At the beginning of the season our aim was to bounce straight back from relegation and return to League 1. We nearly got dragged into a relegation scrap, so you could say that we have let ourselves down. Now it's just a case of writing off this season and preparing for next year.

How would you say your form has been this season and who will get your vote for Crewe's player of the season?

This is my first full season playing every week and I would say that after the initial few weeks, where I had to acclimatise to the rigours of League 2 football, I haven't really looked back. I have predominantly played central midfield, occasionally filling in at right back and I have managed to notch five goals this season, so I have really enjoyed it on a personal level. As for my player of the season, it would be John Brayford. He is our right back and captain, nobody ever gets passed him, he is a threat going forward and has been really consistent all season.

What targets do you have for the rest of your career?

Like every player, I want to play at the highest level I possibly can. If that means the Premier League, then that would be brilliant, but I would be very happy to play at the level just below that, The Championship. This has been my first full season, so I am happy to be learning my trade at the minute, but like any other player I have targets of where I'd like to be in a few years' time.

Football

Favourite Premier League Player? Steven Gerrard
Favourite player outside the Premier League? Cristiano Ronaldo
Manager you'd most like to work under? Jose Mourinho
Club you'd most like to play for? Man Utd

Best mate in Football? Haven't got one in particular
Messiest eater? Matt Mitchell King
Biggest ladies man? Danny O'Donnell
Worse Dressed team-mate? Calvin Zola - Thinks red Prada trainers look good

Non-football

Dream date? Cheryl Cole
Favourite TV programme? Waterloo Road
Favourite shop? All Saints
Worst vice? Biting my nails
Biggest pet hate? Slow drivers!

50/50

Chinese or Curry? Curry
Pepsi or Coke? Coke
BMW or Audi? BMW
Pro Evo or Fifa? Fifa
Michael Buble or Akon? Buble

Tags: Ben Herd, Crewe Alexander players, Crewe football, Dario Gradi, League Two players