Micky van de Ven has described Tottenham’s decision to part with Ange Postecoglou as a “strange choice”. Spurs may have endured a dire Premier League campaign but they did finish the season with silverware in their possession after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.
Their European triumph was not enough to keep Postecoglou in the hotseat, with confirmation of his dismissal arriving on Friday evening. The news resulted in an outpouring of emotion from his players as many of the Tottenham squad penned lengthy goodbye messages on their social media accounts.
After thanking Postecoglou for everything during their two years together over the weekend, Van de Ven went into a bit more detail regarding his sacking when speaking after Netherlands’ 8-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Malta, a game in which he scored in. The defender twice stated it is “strange” Postecoglou has been fired as he pointed to his Europa League final win and the winning mentality he brings.
“That was ultimately a choice from the club,” he told Voetbal Zone. “We, as players, have little to say about that. Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy and had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.
“It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now. Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach [Thomas Frank], who it will probably be. So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.
“I think many of the players got along with [Postecoglou] well. And of course, what I say, he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time. That also shows that he has a certain quality. That also means that he has a winning mentality, 100 per cent.
“From that, you would of course say that it is strange that he was fired. What we have shown in the Premier League is, of course, unacceptable. That would, of course, have multiple factors, but that would not only have been the coach.”
Van de Ven had taken to his Instagram account not long after the news of Postecoglou’s departure had broke to pay tribute to the 59-year-old. He penned: “Gaffer, thank you for everything! Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club.
“Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best.”
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