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Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven has revealed he "was completely surprised by" the club's decision to part ways with former manager Postecoglou.

The Australian's two-year tenure came to an end a mere over two weeks after he guided the team to victory in the European final, securing the club's first major trophy in 17 years.

Yet, this continental triumph was not matched in the domestic league, with the team ending up in a disappointing 17th place in Postecoglou's final campaign at the helm.

He was replaced by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank during the off-season, but Tottenham currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"He was a fantastic manager. I still really like him," the Dutch defender told The Overlap podcast.

"I don't know how everything went behind the scenes. I didn't expect it. It was odd how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that brought a trophy to the club," he continued.

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

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

Postecoglou joined Tottenham from Celtic ahead of the 2023-24 season, taking over from Conte. He enjoyed early success with his offensive philosophy of play, collecting 26 points from his opening 10 league matches.

However, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five matches, and the team's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure Champions League qualification by a narrow two points.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Dutch international the defender thinks the team lacked a "plan B" and disclosed he and fellow centre-back Romero spoke about taking a more cautious style with the manager.

"I enjoyed the offensive play under Postecoglou but I appreciate what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid at the back. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he said.

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

"However, managers study everything and opponents figured out what we were doing. Sometimes we didn't really have a plan B and we were getting exposed. We didn't have answers to resolve it."

"On one occasion Romero and I walked up to the gaffer and said we need to adjust tactically and play more defensive to ensure we win those games. He was like, 'I agree with you but I want you two guys to sort this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"