Brentford fans quotes when Bidwell signed for QPR:
I'm not massively bothered. A solid championship player, but nothing more than that. There are better options out there and he seems to have stood still the last season or so...
I actually thought he was getting more effective towards the end of last season, running the line and getting some good crosses in. He has been a good solid player over the years for us..
Jake didn't have the best of seasons last term, a great player for us but I don't think he could offer any more.
He was a solid 7/10 player for us but I did expect him to develop beyond that and I don't think he ever will. Love that over the summer, the QPR fans I spoke to thought they'd stolen our prize asset. Now they're calling for JFHs head
They signed an established Championship player (like many of our supporters seem to want us to do). Bidwell is a good player at this level.
We've signed a young, exciting prospect with the potential to become a very, very good player.
Things have worked out very well since he left. I think Jake had stagnated a bit, with little genuine competition for his place, now we have Bjelland, Barbet, Elder, Field with Henry to come back.
Basically we have swopped Bidwell for Rico who is far younger with massive development potential and with the emergence of Field too we are really better off.
The reality is that Jake wouldn't get in our team anymore and would be pushed very close by Tom Field for a place on our bench. We got very good money for an ordinary player imo.
Bidwell's a decent defender but a bit one dimensional as an attacker.
Bidwell used to frustrate me, not due to his lack of effort, but his lack of ability.
IMO we replaced him with better so good that he moved on.
Thoroughly decent young man who left for vastly more money. I'd far rather he'd chosen a better destination but never gave anything less than 100% whilst he was here and was the epitome of a model professional.
He was a dependable player who gave 100% and was our captain for a couple of years. I will give him a short clap when his name is read out and then sit back and watch Jota tear him to shreds. We have replaced him with much better x 2 actually. And Rangers thought they'd stolen our best player!
I must confess that although I always rated Jake, it was mainly because he was so dependable and consistent. Never felt he was a world-beater, always thought he was playing at the correct level and was unlikely to progress much further. 100 percenter for our cause though, and has my respect.
Holloway has been playing him at CB recently. Way to make an average player worse....
Sure he was a nice guy, and of course he put in a reliable shift over a number of years for us.
...its good when players like bidwell move on....it just means we can bring in better players to take their place.
Looked like what he is. A wholehearted, highly committed, but very limited left back.
Most players get better with age Bidwell gets worse. Sold at the perfect time
Bidwell is a symbol of how far we’ve come. Was the first name on our team sheet, now wouldn’t make the squad. Used to have some pace and trickery under the guidance of innovative coaching.... now looks like he’s been told he should focus on the gym ahead of practicing his skills. His talent has basically been coached out of him by one (of the many) mediocre teams in this division.
He’s just a bog standard plodder, fits in with the rest of the QPR team, they really are a very average team nowadays.
Was never disappointed when he left mainly because I saw what Albert Adomah did to him in the play off semi finals ... a good servant in tier 2 football but not championship class IMO
Looks like he is another who has lost their desire as a footballer and is in the comfort zone
It’s fairly evident that he will never play beyond Championship level bar some incredible luck.
That said, he would be perfect for any League One promotion push or for a club trying to stay in the Championship.
I do struggle to see anything positive with Bidwell..... slow, cumbersome, offers nothing going forward, gets a nosebleed if he finds himself in opposition half, questionable positional sense, poor distribution, no vision, can't control the ball, can't pass straight, tendency to wildly spoon or mistime a hoofed clearance.
That Jota lob over him on the halfway line a couple of seasons ago was wonderful. Thought Bidwell reached his peak development with us. Lacked speed and athleticism, and isn't a technical enough of a player to make it any higher than a lowly Championship side. Had no qualms about him leaving, as upgrading on him was the least of our worries at that point. Seems like a decent, honest bloke so hope he gets a good contact elsewhere.
And after he had signed for Swansea:
I think we should be glad he's stayed in the Championship. Hope he gets selected when we play them.
Honestly amazed a club like Swansea would be after him. Though I assume maybe he's just been brought in as backup to Naughton/John.