Tottenham Centre-Back Micky van de Ven Expresses Surprise Over Ange Postecoglou Sacking

Spurs defender Micky van de Ven has admitted he "was completely surprised by" the club's move to part ways with ex-boss Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's two-year tenure was terminated a just 16 days after he guided the team to a win in the Europa League final, securing the team's first major trophy in 17 years.

Yet, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the team finishing in a lowly 17th position in his last season at the helm.

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

"He is 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 backstage. I didn't expect it. It was odd how everything went after - he is the coach that won silverware to the club," he continued.

"Afterwards, when he was dismissed, I texted to my father and my friends and said, 'This was the last thing I thought would happen.'"

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou joined Spurs from Celtic ahead of the 2023-24 season, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his offensive philosophy of play, collecting 26 points from his first ten Premier League games.

However, that fine start was halted 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.

The following season, they won just 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Dutch international the defender thinks the squad lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero discussed taking a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with our current manager. We are more solid defensively. I don't like getting exposed every game on the counter-attack," he explained.

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

"However, coaches study everything and opponents knew what we were doing. At times we lacked a plan B and we were being caught out. We lacked answers to get out."

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