Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has revealed his surprise and disbelief at the sacking of former manager Ange Postecoglou, just 16 days after guiding the club to a historic Europa League triumph.

Van de Ven, who joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in August 2023, described Postecoglou as a “really good manager” and said he “never expected” the sudden decision. The Australian coach ended Tottenham’s 17-year wait for a major trophy by defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final in May 2025, yet the club’s domestic struggles ultimately overshadowed their European success.

Van de Ven Reacts to Postecoglou Departure

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Van de Ven admitted the sacking took him by surprise: “I don’t know how everything went backstage. I didn’t expect it. It was strange how everything went after—he’s the manager that won silverware for Tottenham. Afterwards, when he got sacked, I sent a message to my dad and my friends and said, ‘I never expected this.’”

The Netherlands international praised Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy, which had delivered a promising start to his Spurs tenure. “At the beginning, no team was used to playing against our system. We were playing unbelievable football,” Van de Ven said, reflecting on the early success that saw Tottenham take 26 points from their opening 10 league matches.

European Glory, Domestic Struggles

Despite Tottenham’s historic Europa League win, domestic results lagged. The club finished 17th in the Premier League during Postecoglou’s final season, missing out on Champions League qualification by just two points. In the following campaign, Spurs won only 11 of 38 league matches, prompting the board to make a managerial change.

Postecoglou was replaced by Thomas Frank, formerly of Brentford, and under his guidance, Tottenham have stabilized defensively, currently sitting 11th in the Premier League table with 22 points from 16 matches. The team’s recent form, however, has included a heavy 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, highlighting the ongoing challenges of adapting to a new tactical approach.

Van de Ven on Tactical Philosophy

Van de Ven explained that while he enjoyed Postecoglou’s attacking style, Tottenham sometimes lacked a “plan B” when opponents adapted to their system. He and fellow defender Cristian Romero even suggested a more defensive approach during games to help secure victories. “I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou, but I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more secure at the back. I don’t like getting exposed every game on the counter-attack,” Van de Ven said.

He added: “Sometimes we didn’t really have a plan B and we were getting exposed. At one point, me and Romero walked up to the gaffer and said we need to change some things and play more defensively 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, make sure everybody knows.”

Looking Ahead for Tottenham

While Postecoglou’s departure remains a talking point, Van de Ven emphasized the squad’s focus on the present and the improvements under Thomas Frank. The Dutch defender believes Spurs are now building a more balanced and defensively secure team, capable of challenging in both Premier League and European competitions in the future.