🔗 Share this article

Tottenham Hotspur defender Van de Ven has revealed he "was completely surprised by" the club's move to part ways with former manager Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's spell in charge came to an end a mere over two weeks after he guided Tottenham to victory in the European final, delivering the team's first major trophy in nearly two decades.

However, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the side ending up in a lowly 17th position in Postecoglou's final season at the helm.

He was replaced by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank during the off-season, but Spurs currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 loss to Forest at the weekend.

"He was a fantastic manager. I still really like him," the Dutch defender stated on a podcast.

"I don't know how everything went behind the scenes. I didn't expect it. It was strange how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that won silverware to the club," he continued.

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

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou joined Tottenham from Scottish champions Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten Premier League games.

However, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four losses in five matches, and the team's season tailed off, ultimately missing out on a top-four finish by a mere two-point margin.

In the next campaign, they managed only 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international Van de Ven believes the team lacked a "alternative strategy" and revealed he and fellow centre-back Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the manager.

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

"Initially under Postecoglou, no team was used to playing against our system. We were playing unbelievable football."

"But, coaches analyse everything and opponents knew what we were doing. Sometimes we lacked a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We didn't have answers to resolve it."

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