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Spurs centre-back Van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's move to dismiss former manager Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's two-year tenure was terminated a just over two weeks after he guided the team to a win in the Europa League final, delivering the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Yet, this European success was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side ending up in a disappointing 17th place in Postecoglou's final season in charge.

He was succeeded by ex-Brentford manager Frank during the summer, but Tottenham are presently 11th in the table, with 22 points, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He was a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," Van de Ven told The Overlap podcast.

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

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

The Rise and Fall

The Australian manager joined Spurs from Celtic before the 2023-24 season, taking over from Conte. He made a bright start with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten Premier League games.

However, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four losses in five matches, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately missing out on a top-four finish by a mere two-point margin.

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

Lacking a Plan B

Although he enjoyed Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international Van de Ven thinks the team was missing a "plan B" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the manager.

"I enjoyed the offensive play under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more secure defensively. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he explained.

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

"However, coaches analyse everything and opponents knew what we were doing. At times we lacked a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We didn't have solutions to get out."

"At one point Romero and I approached the gaffer and suggested we need to adjust tactically and be more defensive to ensure we secure victory in those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I want you two guys to handle this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"