Micky van de Ven has branded Tottenham's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou as a "strange" choice.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy last week dismissed Postecoglou, two years to the day since his appointment and 16 days after winning the Europa League, which ended the club's 17-year trophy drought.
A club statement confirming the decision thanks Postecoglou for delivering "one of the club's greatest moments", but also noted a 17th-place finish in the Premier League as they lost 22 of their 38 matches, their worst return in over 100 years.
Van de Ven, fresh from scoring for the Netherlands in an 8-0 demolition of Malta, believes Postecoglou proved he has a "winning mentality" and noted the squad's relationship with the sacked head coach as Thomas Frank prepares to be appointed.
“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 has 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 [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.”
