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Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's move to part ways with ex-boss Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian's spell in charge came to an end a just 16 days after he led Tottenham to victory in the European final, securing the team's first major trophy in nearly two decades.

Yet, this European success was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side ending up in a lowly 17th place in his last season in charge.

He was succeeded by ex-Brentford manager Frank during the summer, but Spurs currently sit 11th in the table, with 22 points, following a 3-0 defeat to Forest on Sunday.

"He is a fantastic manager. I still really like him," Van de Ven told a podcast.

"I don't know how everything went backstage. It came as a shock. It was strange how everything went afterwards - he is the coach that won silverware to Tottenham," he continued.

"Afterwards, when he got sacked, I sent a message to my father and my mates and said, 'This was the last thing I thought would happen.'"

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

The Australian manager arrived at Tottenham from Scottish champions Celtic before the 2023-24 season, taking over from Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, collecting an impressive points haul from his opening 10 Premier League games.

Nevertheless, that unbeaten run was halted with four defeats in five games, and the club's season tailed off, ultimately missing out on Champions League qualification by a narrow two points.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Dutch international Van de Ven thinks the team was missing a "plan B" and revealed he and defensive partner Romero spoke about taking a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play at that time 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 counter-attack," he explained.

"Initially under Postecoglou, no team was accustomed to playing against our style. We were playing exceptional football."

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

"On one occasion Romero and I approached the gaffer and said we should adjust tactically and be more defensive to ensure we secure victory in those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to handle this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"