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Tottenham Hotspur defender Van de Ven has revealed he "never expected" the club's decision to part ways with former manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian's spell in charge came to an end a just 16 days after he led the team to victory in the European final, securing the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years.

However, 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 Frank during the off-season, but Tottenham currently sit 11th in the table, with 22 points, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He is a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," Van de Ven stated on a podcast.

"I don't know how everything went backstage. I didn't expect it. It was odd how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that won silverware to the club," he added.

"Later, when he got sacked, 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 arrived at Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, amassing an impressive points haul from his first ten league matches.

Nevertheless, that fine start was halted with four defeats in five games, and the club's form deteriorated, eventually missing out on Champions League qualification by a narrow two-point margin.

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

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Dutch international Van de Ven thinks the team lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero discussed adopting a more cautious style with the coach.

"I enjoyed the offensive play at that time but I appreciate what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid at the back. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he explained.

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

"But, coaches study everything and opponents figured out what we were doing. At times we didn't really have a backup plan and we were being caught out. We didn't have solutions to get out."

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