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Spurs defender Van de Ven has admitted he "was completely surprised by" the club's move to part ways with ex-boss Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's two-year tenure was terminated a just over two weeks after he led the team to victory in the European final, securing the team's first major trophy in 17 years.

Yet, this European success was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the team ending up in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final season at the helm.

He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Thomas Frank during the off-season, but Spurs currently sit 11th in the table, with 22 points, following a 3-0 defeat to Forest at the weekend.

"He was a really good manager. I still really like him," Van de Ven stated on a podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. I didn't expect it. It was strange how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that brought a trophy to the club," he continued.

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

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham from Celtic ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Antonio Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten Premier League games.

Nevertheless, that unbeaten run was halted with four defeats in five matches, and the club's season tailed off, eventually missing out on a top-four finish by a narrow two-point margin.

The following season, they won just 11 out of 38 league matches.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international the defender thinks the squad was missing a "alternative strategy" and revealed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero discussed adopting a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play at that time but I appreciate what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure defensively. I dislike getting exposed every game on the counter-attack," he said.

"At the beginning with that system, no team was accustomed to playing against our system. We were playing exceptional football."

"But, coaches study everything and opponents figured out what we were doing. At times we didn't really have a plan B and we were getting exposed. We didn't have answers to resolve it."

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