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Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has revealed he "never expected" the club's move to dismiss former manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian's spell in charge came to an end a just over two weeks after he led the team to a win in the European final, delivering the club's first piece of silverware in nearly two decades.

However, this continental triumph was not matched in the domestic league, with the team finishing in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final season in charge.

He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Thomas Frank during the summer, but Tottenham currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He is a really good manager. I still really like him," the Dutch defender told The Overlap podcast.

"I don't know how everything went behind the scenes. It came as a shock. It was strange how everything went afterwards - he is the coach that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he added.

"Afterwards, 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 Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023-24 season, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, collecting an impressive points haul from his first ten league matches.

However, that fine start was halted with four losses in five matches, and the team's season tailed off, eventually missing out on a top-four finish by a narrow two-point margin.

The following season, they managed only 11 out of 38 league matches.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Dutch international the defender thinks the squad lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero spoke about taking a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid at the back. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he said.

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

"However, coaches analyse everything and people figured out what we were doing. At times we lacked a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We didn't have answers to get out."

"On one occasion me and Romero walked up to the gaffer and said we need to adjust tactically and be more defensive to make sure we secure victory in those games. He was responded, 'I understand with you but I want you two guys to sort this on the pitch, make sure everybody knows.'"