Loan Roundup: August 9-13

While Danny Simpson waited patiently for his Blackburn debut this weekend, United’s other four loanees got first appearances with their new clubs under their belts as the Football League and Carling Cup got underway this past week.

Tom Heaton has probably made the biggest impression so far. The 22 year-old was expected to have to bide his time as deputy to Peter Enckelman before getting his chance as first-choice keeper at Cardiff but has seemingly already won the starting role, playing the full ninety minutes in both the dramatic opening day league victory over Southampton and the comfortable midweek League Cup win at Bournemouth. Heaton conceded a goal in each of those games but couldn’t be faulted for either, and barring a couple of kicking errors in nightmarish conditions against the Saints, he’s got off to a strong start in South Wales.

Talking of South Wales, Febian Brandy has featured in both games for Swansea City so far. The 19 year-old striker had to settle for a place on the bench and just 26 minutes action as sub in a losing cause as Roberto Martinez’s side went down to an unfortunate opening day defeat at Charlton, but three days later he was in the starting line-up, partnering last season’s top scorer Jason Scotland in attack and setting up the first goal in a 2-0 Carling Cup win over Brentford for Shaun MacDonald.

Febian will this weekend come up against a United team-mate, as Swansea welcome Lee Martin’s new club Nottingham Forest to the Liberty Stadium. A fine midweek debut in the 4-0 victory over Morecambe (the winger setting up Forest’s first goal with a tremendous free-kick) just hours after completing his loan move should see Lee make the starting line-up for the away side.

Craig Cathcart meanwhile also made his debut for Plymouth in the Carling Cup, but definitely didn’t get off to the sort of start he’d have wanted. The Pilgrims went down 2-0 to troubled Luton with Cathcart understandably struggling to form an understanding with Krisztián Timár at the heart of the defence. Competition for central defensive places at Home Park is fierce so the Belfast-born centre-half may well find himself on the bench this weekend.
 

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