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Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven has revealed he "never expected" the club's move to part ways with former manager Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's spell in charge was terminated a mere 16 days after he led the team to victory in the European final, delivering the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Yet, this continental triumph was not matched in the Premier League, with the side finishing in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final season in charge.

He was succeeded by ex-Brentford manager Frank during the summer, but Spurs currently sit 11th in the table, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 defeat to Forest on Sunday.

"He is a really good manager. I still really like him," the Dutch defender told a podcast.

"I don't know how everything went behind the scenes. It came as a shock. It was odd how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that won silverware to the club," he added.

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

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023-24 season, replacing Conte. He enjoyed early success 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 defeats in five matches, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately missing out on Champions League qualification by a mere two-point margin.

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

Lacking a Plan B

Although he enjoyed Postecoglou's style, Dutch international the defender thinks the team was missing a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero spoke about taking a more defensive approach with the manager.

"I enjoyed the attacking football at that time but I appreciate what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure at the back. I dislike being vulnerable every game on the counter-attack," he explained.

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

"But, coaches study everything and people figured out what we were doing. Sometimes we didn't really have a plan B and we were being caught out. We lacked answers to resolve it."

"At one point Romero and I walked up to the manager and said we should adjust tactically and play more defensive to make sure we win those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to sort this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"