Spurs defender Micky van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's decision to dismiss ex-boss Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou's spell in charge was terminated a just over two weeks after he guided Tottenham to a win in the Europa League final, securing the club's first major trophy in nearly two decades.
Yet, this continental triumph was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the team ending up in a disappointing 17th position in Postecoglou's final campaign at the helm.
He was succeeded by former Brentford boss Frank during the off-season, but Spurs currently sit in 11th place, with 22 points from 16 games, following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
"He is a fantastic manager. I have a lot of respect for him," Van de Ven told a podcast.
"I don't know how everything went behind the scenes. I didn't expect it. It was strange how everything went after - he is the coach that won silverware to the club," he continued.
"Afterwards, when he got sacked, I texted to my dad and my mates and said, 'I never expected this.'"
The Australian manager joined Spurs from Celtic before the 2023-24 season, replacing Antonio Conte. He enjoyed early success with his offensive philosophy of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten Premier League games.
However, that fine start was halted with four defeats in five matches, and the team's season tailed off, eventually missing out on Champions League qualification by a mere two-point margin.
In the next campaign, they managed only 11 out of 38 Premier League fixtures.
Although he enjoyed Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international Van de Ven thinks the team lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero spoke about adopting a more defensive approach with the coach.
"I liked the offensive play at that time but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more secure at the back. I don't like being vulnerable every game on the counter-attack," he said.
"At the beginning under Postecoglou, no team was used to playing against our system. We were playing unbelievable football."
"But, coaches analyse everything and opponents knew what we were doing. Sometimes we didn't really have a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We didn't have solutions to get out."
"On one occasion Romero and I approached the gaffer and said we need to change some things and play more defensive to ensure we win those games. He was responded, 'I agree with you but I want you two guys to sort this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"
Elara Vance is a dedicated MapleStory enthusiast and gaming writer, known for creating in-depth guides and staying updated on game mechanics.
