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Spurs Centre-Back Micky van de Ven Expresses Shock At Ange Postecoglou Dismissal
Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Micky van de Ven has admitted he "never expected" the club's decision to dismiss ex-boss Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian's two-year tenure came to an end a mere over two weeks after he led Tottenham to victory in the European final, securing the club's first major trophy in 17 years.
However, this European success was not mirrored in the Premier League, with the side ending up in a disappointing 17th position in his last season in charge.
He was replaced by ex-Brentford manager Frank during the off-season, but Tottenham currently sit 11th in the table, with 22 points, following a 3-0 defeat to Forest on Sunday.
"He was a really good manager. I have a lot of respect for him," Van de Ven told a podcast.
"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. It came as a shock. It was strange how everything went after - he's the manager that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he continued.
"Later, when he got sacked, I texted to my father and my friends and said, 'I never expected this.'"
Initial Success and Subsequent Struggle
The Australian manager joined Tottenham from Celtic ahead of the 2023-24 season, taking over from Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, amassing 26 points from his first ten Premier League games.
Nevertheless, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with four defeats in five matches, and the club's form deteriorated, ultimately failing to secure Champions League qualification by a narrow two points.
In the next campaign, they managed only 11 of their 38 Premier League fixtures.
Tactical Concerns Revealed
While he appreciated Postecoglou's style, Dutch international Van de Ven believes the squad was missing a "plan B" and disclosed he and defensive partner Cristian Romero spoke about 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 dislike being vulnerable every game on the counter-attack," he said.
"Initially with that system, no team was accustomed to playing against our system. We were playing exceptional football."
"However, managers analyse everything and opponents knew what we were doing. Sometimes we lacked a plan B and we were being caught out. We lacked answers to resolve it."
"On one occasion Romero and I walked up to the manager and suggested we need to adjust tactically and be more defensive to ensure we secure victory in those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to sort this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"
Shane Waters
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