Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven expresses shock at Ange Postecoglou’s sacking, praising the Australian manager’s style of play and achievements at the club.
Micky van de Ven said he “never expected” the club to sack former manager Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou’s two-year tenure ended abruptly, just 16 days after leading Tottenham to victory in the Europa League final, the club’s first major trophy in 17 years.
Van de Ven praised Postecoglou’s style of play, saying, “He was a really good manager. I still really like him.” The defender was surprised by the decision, adding, “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.”
Postecoglou joined Tottenham from Celtic in 2023, replacing Antonio Conte, and initially enjoyed success with his attacking style of play. However, the team’s performance tailed off, and they ultimately missed out on Champions League qualification.
Van de Ven believes Tottenham lacked a “plan B” under Postecoglou, saying, “Sometimes we didn’t really have a plan B and we were getting exposed.” He and Cristian Romero discussed taking a more defensive approach with the manager, but Postecoglou expected them to sort it out on the pitch.
The Netherlands international defender likes the current approach under Thomas Frank, saying, “I like what we have now with Thomas Frank. We are more secure at the back.” Van de Ven is optimistic about the team’s chances under Frank, who replaced Postecoglou in the summer.
Tottenham currently sits 11th in the Premier League table, with 22 points from 16 matches. The team suffered a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but Van de Ven is focused on moving forward.
