Spurs Centre-Back Micky van de Ven Expresses Shock At Postecoglou Dismissal

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's decision to dismiss former manager Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's two-year tenure was terminated a mere 16 days after he led Tottenham to victory in the European final, securing the club's first piece of silverware in nearly two decades.

However, this European success was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side finishing in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final campaign at the helm.

He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Thomas Frank during the off-season, but Spurs are presently in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He is a really good manager. I still really like him," Van de Ven stated on a 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.

"Later, when he got sacked, I sent a message to my dad and my friends and said, 'I never expected this.'"

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

The Australian manager joined Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten league matches.

However, that unbeaten run was halted with four losses in five matches, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately missing out on a top-four finish by a narrow two-point margin.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

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

"I enjoyed 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.

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

"But, coaches study everything and opponents figured out what we were doing. Sometimes we didn't really have a plan B and we were being caught out. We didn't have solutions to get out."

"At one point Romero and I approached the gaffer and said we need to adjust tactically and play more defensive to make sure we secure victory in those games. He was responded, 'I agree with you but I expect you two guys to handle this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"