Harkes is hoping to make amends for Dutch debacle

DUNDEE UNITED midfielder Ian Harkes insists the Tannadice side cannot allow their midweek thrashing by AZ Alkmaar to derail their season.

Jack Ross’s men return to action this afternoon when they face Hearts at Tynecastle. Thursday’s 7-0 humiliation matched the record for the heaviest-ever loss suffered by a Scottish club in Europe, previously set by Celtic and Hibernian.

United finished fourth last term to claim a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifiers but their campaign ended at the first hurdle in disastrous fashion despite taking a 1-0 lead to Alkmaar.

Harkes said: ‘It was great to qualify for Europe but we don’t want this to be a one-off. We want to get back here next season to show we are a good team.

‘It is hard against the top teams but we need to learn lessons from this defeat.

There is very little we can do about this result now.

‘We must lift ourselves, move forward and try to get back into Europe next season.

‘It will be tough against Hearts. They proved last season they were a top side and they will be aiming to kick on again. ‘I know Robbie Neilson because I played under him. He is a top manager but we have to look at ourselves. ‘If we can go out and play the way we are capable of, then we know we can get results anywhere.’

United were a shambles in the Netherlands and were five goals down by half-time, their defence non-existent as AZ carved through them with ease.

Harkes (pictured) admitted: ‘We didn’t defend well enough. We just couldn’t get to grips with them. I actually thought we started quite well but you can’t take any positives from a result like that.

‘As a footballer, it is hard to take and it will take some time to get over and rightly so. We worked so hard to get into Europe last year and to end the way it has is so disappointing.

‘It was a big thing for us to play in Europe and for me personally. It is so disappointing to have gone from the high of last week to this. It is hard to put into words.

‘The whole dressing room was down because we know we didn’t do ourselves justice.

‘Don’t get me wrong, they are a top team but we were nowhere near the levels we expect to be at.’