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Spurs centre-back Van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's decision to part ways with former manager Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's two-year tenure came to an end a just 16 days after he guided the team to victory in the European final, securing the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Yet, this continental triumph was not matched in the Premier League, with the team finishing in a disappointing 17th place in his last season 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, following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He is a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," Van de Ven stated on a podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. It came as a shock. It was strange how everything went after - he's the manager that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he added.

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

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

Postecoglou joined Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing 26 points from his opening 10 Premier League games.

However, that fine start was halted with four losses in five matches, and the club's season tailed off, eventually missing out on Champions League qualification by a mere two points.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Dutch international Van de Ven believes the team was missing a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the coach.

"I enjoyed the attacking football under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid defensively. I don't like being vulnerable every game on the counter-attack," he said.

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

"But, coaches analyse everything and people knew what we were doing. At times we lacked a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We didn't have solutions to get out."

"On one occasion Romero and I approached the gaffer and said we need to change some things and be more defensive to ensure we secure victory in those games. He was responded, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to handle this on the pitch, make sure everybody knows.'"