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Spurs defender Micky van de Ven has revealed he "never expected" the club's decision to dismiss ex-boss Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's spell in charge came to an end a mere over two weeks after he led the team to victory in the European final, securing the team's first major trophy in 17 years.

However, this European success was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side finishing in a lowly 17th place in his last campaign at the helm.

He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Frank during the off-season, but Tottenham are presently in 11th place, with 22 points, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

"He was a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," the Dutch defender told a podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. It came as a shock. It was odd how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he continued.

"Later, when he got sacked, I texted to my dad and my mates and said, 'I never expected this.'"

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

The Australian manager arrived at Spurs from Celtic before the 2023-24 season, replacing Antonio Conte. He made a bright start with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing an impressive points haul from his opening 10 Premier League games.

Nevertheless, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four losses in five matches, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure Champions League qualification by a narrow two-point margin.

The following season, they managed only 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Dutch international Van de Ven thinks the team was missing a "alternative strategy" and revealed he and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play at that time but I appreciate what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more secure defensively. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he said.

"Initially with that system, no team was used to playing against our style. We were playing exceptional football."

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

"At one point Romero and I approached the manager and said we should change some things and play more defensive to make sure we secure victory in those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to handle this on the pitch, make sure everybody knows.'"