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Spurs defender Micky 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 over two weeks after he guided Tottenham to victory in the European final, delivering the club's first major trophy in 17 years.

Yet, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the side finishing in a disappointing 17th position in his last season in charge.

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

"He is a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," the Dutch defender stated on a podcast.

"I don't know how everything went behind the scenes. I didn't expect it. It was strange how everything went afterwards - he is the coach that won silverware to the club," he added.

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

The Rise and Fall

The Australian manager joined Tottenham from Scottish champions Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten league matches.

However, that fine start came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five matches, and the club's season tailed off, eventually missing out on Champions League qualification by a narrow two-point margin.

In the next campaign, they managed only 11 of their 38 league matches.

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Dutch international Van de Ven thinks the squad lacked a "plan B" and disclosed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the manager.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I appreciate what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure at the back. I don't like being vulnerable every game on the counter-attack," he explained.

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

"But, coaches study everything and opponents knew what we were doing. Sometimes we lacked a backup plan and we were being caught out. We lacked answers to get out."

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