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

Postecoglou's spell in charge was terminated a mere over two weeks after he led Tottenham to victory in the Europa League final, delivering the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Yet, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the domestic league, with the side finishing in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final season at the helm.

He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Frank during the summer, but Tottenham currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

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

"I'm not sure how everything went behind the scenes. I didn't expect it. It was strange how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he continued.

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

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou arrived at Spurs from Celtic ahead of the 2023-24 season, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his offensive philosophy of play, collecting an impressive points haul from his first ten league matches.

However, that fine start was halted with four defeats in five games, and the club's season tailed off, eventually missing out on Champions League qualification by a mere two-point margin.

The following season, they managed only 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Dutch international the defender believes the squad lacked a "plan B" and disclosed he and fellow centre-back Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the coach.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with our current manager. We are more solid at the back. I don't like being vulnerable every game on the break," he explained.

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

"But, coaches study everything and people knew what we were doing. At times we lacked a plan B and we were getting exposed. We lacked answers to get out."

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