🔗 Share this article

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

The Australian's spell in charge came to an end a just 16 days after he guided the team to a win in the Europa League final, securing the club's first major trophy in nearly two decades.

However, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the team finishing in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final season at the helm.

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

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

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

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

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

The Australian manager joined Spurs from Scottish champions Celtic ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, taking over from Conte. He made a bright start with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing an impressive points haul from his opening 10 Premier League games.

Nevertheless, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five matches, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure a top-four finish by a narrow two points.

The following season, they managed only 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international the defender believes the squad lacked a "plan B" and disclosed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero spoke about taking a more defensive approach with the manager.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure at the back. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he explained.

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

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

"On one occasion me and Romero walked up to the gaffer and said we need to change some things 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, make sure everybody knows.'"