News last night that Brandon Cooper has not had his loan extended at Leyton Orient has come as a shock to a number of O’s fans, but not all. The fans at Brisbane Road are definitely split on Cooper being returned to the Swans.

First of all Brandon didn’t get off to the best of starts at Gillingham in the EFL Trophy. He was sent off against the Gills at Priestfield Stadium on his debut. That was for a stamp on an opposition player. Manager Richie Wellens commented after the game, "It's not good. Is it completely all down to us? I don't know. We have to look at things, but I agree, we can't be ill-disciplined. From us on the bench to the players on the pitch, we've got to be better and we will be”

Fans of League One Orient are a supportive and loyal set of fans. With all manner of ‘bigger’ clubs around them they deserve to be heard when they voice an opinion. Two of their main forums have reacted.

⚽️ Orient Ed : Certainly agree with you, not so much as to getting sent off but the way he got sent off against Derby. He done nothing more than assault their player; I don't want want thugs at our club.

⚽️ Mr B : I actually liked him….lost his head a couple of times but I think that was more down to frustration

⚽️ Multahido : Has gone back to Swansea.A decent player but sent off twice since he's been here can't be having that I'm afraid.Good luck for the future.

The Independent Leyton Orient forum mirrored the fans forum above.

⚽️ Hoover Attack : Was surprised to see him feature last week, assumed he'd been forgiven but obviously not.

⚽️ PickM : Cooper did a good job for us, saw him at the Exeter match, he was superb. A good loan for us and good luck to him in the future.

The issue for Brandon with seventeen games for the O’s ( thirteen starts ) was his dreadful disciplinary stats. We spoke to a contact at the Newham Advertiser and were told, “He was a tough cookie, great for league one but had a real temper on him. Fans were fifty/fifty. But getting sent off twice, once for elbowing the face of the ex Cardiff lad (James Collins) against Derby, who really got to him was a big mistake. Collins was at him all half. Cooper just saw red, excuse the pun. Whether it was a Swansea / Cardiff thing or not I don’t know.”

Cooper had six yellows and two reds during his time at Orient, and for a team looking upwards towards the play offs that hasn’t helped Brandon’s cause. The club issued a very short statement yesterday. “In the first half of the season, 23-year-old Cooper made 17 appearances for the O’s with 13 of those coming as starts in Sky Bet League One. The club would like to wish Brandon all the best for the future”

And that is that.

There were options for Cooper to be retained at Orient until the end of the season, and the Swans would have agreed to that. However just shy of his loan ending the club decided he was to return to Swansea. It’s been good and bad for Brandon, he started exceptionally well but whether fear of more disciplinary action being taken against him on the pitch or a lack of confidence it hasn’t gone well since his sending off against Derby County. Cooper clearly elbowed James Collins well off the ball, and received a red at the end of the first half in a defeat to the Rams. Orient coach Matt Harold said after the sending off, “At the time I wasn’t sure as my view was from the other side but having watched our video of the red card again, I don’t think we can have any complaints and it doesn’t look good on the video,”

Cooper has had a number of loans, Swindon Town, Forest Green, Newport, Yeovil and Leyton Orient to date. There will be clubs willing to take him straight back out on loan though, that’s the good news. Reading were pipped by Orient for his loan signature in the summer, they may well decide on having another go. The Swans academy has a good name in league football and if the Swans and Cooper so desire there will be a club for him before the end of January.

However, is he a player Luke Williams can temper and develop, he’s got the attributes but surely now Brandon is at a huge crossroads at the Swans ?

Photograph Open Source

ncswan added 15:16 - Jan 11 Would hate to see the young man marked as an ill-tempered soccer player for one or two ugly incidents. If the club values him at all then both club and player need to get out in front of his mistake(s) and show good faith in getting him squared away and put behind him.
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