‘Strange’—Micky van de Ven Questions Tottenham’s Decision to Sack Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven didn’t seem particularly pleased with the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou.

Micky van de Ven offered his opinion on Ange Postecoglou’s sacking. | IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven has questioned the club’s decision to sack Ange Postecoglou, describing it as “strange”.

Spurs parted ways with Postecoglou less than three weeks removed from their glorious night in the Europa League final. Their 1–0 victory over Manchester United courtesy of Brennan Johnson’s scrappy first-half goal meant they ended their 17-year wait for a major trophy.

However, Spurs also endured their worst domestic season of the Premier League era, finishing 17th in the table with a measly 38 points. While Van de Ven described his team’s performance as “unacceptable” in the league, he believes it was an odd choice to part ways with the manager who ended their silverware drought.

Speaking after the Netherlands’ 8–0 win over Malta during the June international break, Van de Ven was asked about the Australian’s sacking.

”That was ultimately a choice from the club,“ he said. “We, as players, have little to say about that. Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a prize and has had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.

“I think a lot of players were good with him [Postecoglou]. 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%.

Van de Ven was brought to Tottenham under Postecoglou’s watch two summers ago, and the defender said in his farewell message written on Instagram that he would be “forever grateful” for the Australian.

The Dutchman has so far flourished in north London, with Postecoglou’s system exposing Van de Ven’s hamstrings while making full use of his freakish recovery defending.

He will now get to work with Thomas Frank, who’s been appointed as Spurs’ new manager, but Van de Ven might wonder who he’ll be partnering in defence next season amid uncertainty over Cristian Romero’s future.

---