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This is a somber one for me, because I was elated upon Ian Harkes’s decision to sign with United despite alleged European interest. Having watched him in college, I thought he’d blossom into a great player for DCU. It hasn’t exactly gone as planned, and according to Steven Goff, Harkes and the club are likely to part ways this winter.
Ian Harkes made just eight appearances for the team this season, starting in four of those. He totaled 353 minutes, a precipitous fall from the 1949 he amassed a season ago. It comes as no surprise that in such limited action, he contributed zero goals and zero assists, and realistically it’s not wise to try to glean anything from his performance over the course of the season.
If Harkes, as suspected, does head for greener pastures this off-season, it will be unfortunate but sensible. With a bevy of central midfielders ahead of the depth chart, there’s no sense in letting the 23-year-old sit stagnantly on the bench. I imagine that he wants to play somewhere, and the team would be making the right decision to allow him to do so, whether it’s by trade or by releasing him. That said...