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

Postecoglou's spell in charge was terminated a just 16 days after he guided the team to victory in the European final, securing the club's first major trophy in 17 years.

However, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the team finishing in a disappointing 17th place in Postecoglou's final campaign in charge.

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

"He is a really good manager. I still really like him," the Dutch defender told The Overlap podcast.

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

"Later, when he was dismissed, I sent a message to my dad and my mates and said, 'I never expected this.'"

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou joined Spurs from Celtic ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, taking over from Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, collecting 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 team's season tailed off, eventually failing to secure a top-four finish by a mere two-point margin.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

Although he enjoyed Postecoglou's style, Dutch international the defender thinks the squad was missing a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and fellow centre-back Romero discussed adopting a more cautious style with the manager.

"I liked the offensive play at that time but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid defensively. I don't like getting exposed every game on the break," he said.

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

"But, coaches analyse everything and people figured out what we were doing. Sometimes we didn't really have a plan B and we were being caught out. We lacked solutions to get out."

"At one point me and Romero walked up to the gaffer and suggested we should adjust tactically and be more defensive to make sure we win those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to handle this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"