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Spurs centre-back Van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's decision to dismiss ex-boss Postecoglou.

The Australian's two-year tenure came to an end a just 16 days after he led the team to a win in the European final, delivering the club's first major trophy in nearly two decades.

Yet, this European success was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the side finishing in a disappointing 17th position in his last season in charge.

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 defeat to Forest on Sunday.

"He was a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," the Dutch defender told a podcast.

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

"Afterwards, when he got sacked, I sent a message to my dad and my mates and said, 'This was the last thing I thought would happen.'"

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou arrived at Spurs from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, taking over from Antonio Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, collecting an impressive points haul 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 season tailed off, ultimately missing out on Champions League qualification by a mere two points.

In the next campaign, they won just 11 of their 38 league matches.

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Dutch international Van de Ven believes the team was missing a "alternative strategy" and revealed he and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero spoke about adopting a more defensive approach with the coach.

"I enjoyed the offensive play under Postecoglou but I appreciate what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid defensively. I dislike being vulnerable every game on the break," he explained.

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

"But, managers study everything and opponents figured out what we were doing. At times we lacked a backup plan and we were being caught out. We didn't have answers to resolve it."

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