QPR robbed Brentford FC blind - but didn’t have the last laugh | OneFootball

QPR pulled off a real coup with the signing of Jake Bidwell, but it didn't quite work out

QPR haven’t reached the play-offs since suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2015.

The Hoops finished 12th in their first campaign back in the Championship, 14 points adrift of sixth place Sheffield Wednesday.

The London outfit spent heavily in the first half of that decade to try and cement their place in the top flight, making big money signings such as Loic Remy from Marseille, Esteban Granero from Real Madrid and Steven Caulker from Cardiff City.

However, their spending had to be curbed after their 20th place finish in the division over a decade ago, with their ability to spend significantly reduced.

It’s been a difficult 10 years since that 12th place, with their best result coming in 2020/21 when QPR came ninth in the table.

While the threat of relegation to League One followed in the subsequent campaigns, the club are now back on solid footing and looking to be back on the rise.

QPR pulled off a real coup with Brentford raid

While QPR were unable to spend as lavishly back in the Championship as they had in the first half of the 2010s, with ill-fated spending forcing the financial purse-strings to be tightened. they were still able to pull off some impressive deals.

In particular, the move to bring Jake Bidwell to Loftus Road from Brentford in the summer of 2016 was a great piece of business.

The defender had come through with the Bees, and had established himself as a core part of their side as they earned promotion from League One in 2014, before coming fifth and ninth in the subsequent campaigns in the second tier.

QPR poached Bidwell, agreeing to a three year deal, and he cemented his place as an important member of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first team squad after joining from a local rival.

However, results at Loftus Road weren’t impressive, and the Dutchman departed in November.

While the left-back was playing his part, QPR were ultimately only good enough for 18th in the table, and he contributed just two assists, which was down on his two goals and four assists in his final campaign for Brentford.

Bidwell got back to his best for the Hoops in his second season with the club, becoming an increasingly important part of the side.

He found the back of the net in the league for the first time in a 3-1 win against Aston Villa in which he also provided an assist.

The defender matched his tally from his final season at Brentford, but QPR only managed 16th in the table.

It was clear that QPR's path back to the Premier League wouldn't be as straightforward as their previous relegation, and Bidwell was starting to become a top player in a less than stellar side.

QPR didn’t have the last laugh with Jake Bidwell

Bidwell again registered four assists in his third campaign with the London outfit, but they were ultimately his final contributions to the club.

Steve McClaren was manager by the time 2018/19 got underway, but he was dismissed by 1 April after another underwhelming term.

Bidwell saw the writing on the wall, and made the move to Swansea City after a disappointing 19th place in the Championship.

While the full-back continued to be a standout performer for QPR, the team’s overall results were underwhelming.

His contract was not renewed amid financial issues, and he made the switch to the recently-relegated Swans, where he immediately competed for promotion in both of his first two seasons with the Welsh outfit.

Brentford had the last laugh, as the Bees themselves earned their place in the Premier League in 2021 under Thomas Frank.

And Bidwell will now get the pleasure of being able to join them, as he has helped Coventry City clinch first place on their way to the top flight after a 25-year absence.

QPR’s deal to sign Bidwell was a rare hit in an otherwise tumultuous period in the transfer window for the club, and Brentford ultimately had the winning hand in the long run.