Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Micky van de Ven has taken to the press to react to the sacking of Ange Postecoglou. This comes as rumours gather on the growing animosity in the Spurs squad as a result of the club’s decision.
Micky van de Ven on Spurs “Strange” Decision
Players Appear to Have Fully Backed Ange
When the news of Postecoglou’s sacking was made official, the Spurs squad quickly took to social media to post about how grateful they were for their manager.
This included van de Ven, who thanked Postecoglou for believing in him and for being part of that historic moment of lifting Tottenham’s third UEFA Cup.
Meanwhile, club captain Son Heung-Min posted: “Gaffer, You’ve changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.”
Earlier in the season, there were plenty of critics among the Spurs fans and the media who claimed that Postecoglou perhaps didn’t have the command of the dressing room.
There was even a leak somewhere in the club at one point.
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Tottenham Have Made “Strange” Call to Sack Ange
Speaking to Voetbalzone after the Netherlands’ victory against Malta, van de Ven was asked about his thoughts on Postecoglou’s sacking.
He said: “I think many of the players got along with him well. And of course 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.”
The lengthy silence from the club and the statement they eventually made suggest it was no easy decision for the board to take. If Postecoglou hadn’t won the Europa League, then sacking him was almost an inevitability. But, winning a major trophy has had a huge effect on the squad, the fans and the club as a whole.
As van de Ven points out, Postecoglou did have the support of the players. While Spurs’ Premier League form suffered, the manager did his best through various injury crises and fixture congestion to keep his squad focused on moving forward in Europe.
Winning that first trophy in 17 years (and the first European trophy since 1984) has called time on the ‘Spursy’ tag. It’s a reminder of Tottenham’s pedigree as a historic club for winning trophies. But more importantly, it has given the current squad members a unique feeling that they’ll keep chasing for the rest of their careers.
So van de Ven’s viewpoint that Ange’s sacking is “strange” is easy to understand. There was a chance for Daniel Levy to stop hitting the reset button and give Postecoglou another chance. This was a moment that could have been built on for everyone involved at the club.
Postecoglou’s Sacking: Impact on Players
There’s no doubt that the players will be feeling some disappointment after Ange’s sacking. At the same time, they’re professionals, and they too will understand how their 17th-place finish in the league was simply unacceptable.
But according to an exclusive from The Telegraph, there is more than just disappointment from the players.
An undisclosed source said: “The players are so angry about what has happened and how it has been handled. The next manager is going to inherit a difficult situation.”
Matt Law of the Telegraph has suggested that the next Tottenham boss will face a “huge task” to repair the dressing room “damage”.
With Thomas Frank expected to be announced as the next Spurs manager shortly, it will be interesting to see how he approaches getting to know his new squad. The general feeling among Spurs fans is that Frank is an astute appointment; he is a good communicator and likes to play attacking, possession-based football. Having spent almost seven years at Brentford, he also shows his ability to provide stability and deliver over a long period of time.