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Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Van de Ven has revealed he "was completely surprised by" the club's decision to part ways with former manager Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's spell in charge was terminated a mere 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 European success was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the side finishing in a lowly 17th position in his last campaign in charge.

He was succeeded by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank during the off-season, but Tottenham currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points, 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 don't know how everything went behind the scenes. It came as a shock. It was strange how everything went after - he is the coach that brought a trophy to the club," he continued.

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

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

Postecoglou joined Spurs from Scottish champions Celtic before the 2023-24 season, 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 came to an abrupt end with four losses in five matches, and the team's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure Champions League qualification by a narrow two-point margin.

The following season, they won just 11 out of 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 manager.

"I liked the attacking football under Postecoglou but I appreciate what we have now with our current manager. We are more solid defensively. I don't like getting exposed every game on the counter-attack," he explained.

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

"However, managers study everything and people figured out what we were doing. At times we didn't really have a plan B and we were being caught out. We lacked solutions to resolve it."

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