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Tottenham Hotspur defender Van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's move to dismiss ex-boss Postecoglou.

Postecoglou's two-year tenure was terminated a just 16 days after he led Tottenham to victory in the Europa League final, securing the team's first major trophy in 17 years.

However, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the team finishing in a disappointing 17th position in his last season in charge.

He was succeeded by ex-Brentford manager Thomas Frank during the off-season, but Spurs currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 defeat to Forest at the weekend.

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

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

"Later, when he was dismissed, 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 Scottish champions Celtic ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Conte. He made a bright start with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing an impressive points haul from his first ten league matches.

Nevertheless, that fine start was halted with four losses in five matches, and the team's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure a top-four finish by a narrow two points.

The following season, they managed only 11 of their 38 league matches.

Lacking a Plan B

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Netherlands international the defender thinks the squad lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero spoke about taking a more cautious style with the manager.

"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 being vulnerable every game on the break," he explained.

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

"However, coaches study everything and opponents knew what we were doing. At times we lacked a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We lacked solutions to resolve it."

"On one occasion Romero and I walked up to the manager and suggested we should change some things and play more defensive to ensure we win those games. He was responded, 'I agree with you but I expect you two guys to sort this on the pitch, make sure everybody knows.'"