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Spurs defender Van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's move to dismiss former manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian's two-year tenure was terminated a just 16 days after he guided the team to victory in the European final, delivering the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Yet, this European success was not matched in the domestic league, with the side ending up in a disappointing 17th place in his last campaign in charge.

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

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

"I don't know how everything went backstage. It came as a shock. It was odd how everything went afterwards - he's the manager that brought a trophy to the club," he continued.

"Afterwards, when he was dismissed, I texted to my father and my mates and said, 'I never expected this.'"

Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle

The Australian manager joined Spurs from Celtic before the 2023/24 campaign, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his attacking style of play, amassing an impressive points haul from his opening 10 league matches.

Nevertheless, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five matches, and the club's season tailed off, eventually missing out on Champions League qualification by a mere two-point margin.

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

Tactical Concerns Revealed

While he appreciated the attacking approach, Netherlands international Van de Ven believes the team lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero discussed adopting a more cautious style with the coach.

"I enjoyed the attacking football under Postecoglou but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more solid defensively. I dislike getting exposed every game on the break," he explained.

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

"However, coaches study everything and opponents figured out what we were doing. At times we lacked a plan B and we were being caught out. We didn't have answers to get out."

"At one point me and Romero approached the gaffer and suggested we need to change some things and be more defensive to make sure we win those games. He was like, 'I agree with you but I expect you two guys to sort this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"