🔗 Share this article

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

Postecoglou's two-year tenure was terminated a just over two weeks after he guided Tottenham to victory in the Europa League final, delivering the club's first piece of silverware in nearly two decades.

However, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side ending up in a disappointing 17th place in his last campaign in charge.

He was succeeded by former Brentford boss Frank during the summer, but Tottenham are presently in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He was a fantastic manager. I have a lot of respect for him," Van de Ven told The Overlap podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went behind the scenes. It came as a shock. It was odd how everything went after - he is the coach that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he added.

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

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou joined Spurs from Scottish champions Celtic ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, collecting an impressive points haul from his opening 10 league matches.

However, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five games, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure a top-four finish by a mere two-point margin.

In the next campaign, they won just 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international Van de Ven believes the squad lacked a "plan B" and revealed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero discussed adopting a more cautious style with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I appreciate what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure at the back. I don't like getting exposed every game on the break," he said.

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

"But, coaches study everything and opponents 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 solutions to get out."

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