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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 two-year tenure was terminated a just over two weeks after he guided Tottenham to victory in the Europa League final, delivering the team's first major trophy in nearly two decades.

Yet, this European success was not matched in the domestic league, with the team ending up in a disappointing 17th place in his last season at the helm.

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

"He was a fantastic manager. I have a lot of respect for him," the Dutch defender told a podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. I didn't expect it. It was odd how everything went after - he's the manager that won silverware to Tottenham," he continued.

"Afterwards, when he was dismissed, I texted to my father and my mates and said, 'I never expected this.'"

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, taking over from Antonio Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten league matches.

However, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five games, and the team's season tailed off, ultimately missing out on a top-four finish by a narrow two-point margin.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Netherlands international the defender believes the team was missing a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero spoke about taking a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I liked the attacking football at that time but I appreciate what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid defensively. I dislike being vulnerable every game on the break," he said.

"At the beginning under Postecoglou, no team was used to playing against our system. We were playing exceptional football."

"But, coaches study everything and people figured out what we were doing. Sometimes we didn't really have a plan B and we were getting exposed. We lacked answers to get out."

"On one occasion Romero and I walked up to the manager and suggested we should change some things and play more defensive to ensure we win those games. He was like, 'I agree with you but I want you two guys to sort this on the pitch, make sure everybody knows.'"