🔗 Share this article

Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's move to part ways with ex-boss Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian's spell in charge came to an end a just 16 days after he guided the team to a win in the European final, securing the club's first piece of silverware in nearly two decades.

Yet, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side ending up in a disappointing 17th place in his last season at the helm.

He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Thomas Frank during the summer, but Tottenham are presently in 11th place, with 22 points, following a 3-0 defeat to Forest on Sunday.

"He is a fantastic manager. I have a lot of respect for him," the Dutch defender stated on a podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. I didn't expect it. It was odd how everything went afterwards - he is the coach that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he continued.

"Afterwards, when he got sacked, I sent a message to my dad and my mates and said, 'This was the last thing I thought would happen.'"

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Antonio Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, collecting an impressive points haul from his opening 10 Premier League games.

However, that fine start came to an abrupt end with four losses in five matches, and the club's season tailed off, ultimately failing to secure a top-four finish by a mere two-point margin.

The following season, they won just 11 of their 38 league matches.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international the defender believes the team was missing a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero discussed taking a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play at that time but I like what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure at the back. I dislike being vulnerable every game on the break," he explained.

"At the beginning under Postecoglou, no team was accustomed to playing against our style. We were playing exceptional football."

"However, managers study everything and people knew what we were doing. At times we didn't really have a backup plan and we were being caught out. We lacked answers to get out."

"On one occasion Romero and I approached the manager and suggested we need to change some things and be more defensive to make sure we secure victory in those games. He was like, 'I agree with you but I want you two guys to handle this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"