Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has disclosed that senior players within the squad personally intervened to persuade manager Ange Postecoglou to modify his attacking tactics during the club's successful Europa League campaign last season.
The Push for a Plan B
Postecoglou's unwavering commitment to a front-foot, possession-based style faced intense scrutiny as Spurs endured a difficult Premier League season, ultimately finishing in 17th place. Despite this domestic struggle, the team secured the Europa League trophy in May 2025 with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao, ending a 17-year wait for silverware. Van de Ven, a key figure in defence, admitted the team often lacked an alternative strategy.
Speaking on the Overlap podcast, the Dutch international explained that he and centre-back partner Cristian Romero felt compelled to act. "Me and Cuti [Cristian Romero] were playing only the Europa League games last season," Van de Ven said. "At one point, we just walked up to the gaffer and said that we need to change some things and play more defensive sometimes, we need to make sure we win those games."
A Tactical Turning Point in Frankfurt
The pivotal moment came during the Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt. Holding a slender 1-0 lead away from home and protecting a 2-1 aggregate advantage, the defenders argued for a pragmatic shift. "We can't keep attacking, we just need to come back and have a low block and make sure we go to the next round," Van de Ven recounted telling the manager.
Postecoglou, according to the defender, agreed to their assessment. The manager tasked Van de Ven and Romero with implementing the changes on the pitch, leveraging their standing within the team. "He said to me and Cuti personally, 'You guys make sure the other guys listen to you... make sure the guys follow what we say on the pitch,'" Van de Ven revealed.
From Dialogue to European Glory
This collaborative adjustment proved decisive. Spurs saw out the 1-0 win in Frankfurt, progressed past Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals, and carried the adapted mindset into the final against Manchester United. Van de Ven described the pre-final talk: "Everybody knew that we need to win a trophy, it doesn't matter how we're going to do it."
Even in the biggest game, a tactical compromise was reached. "When it came to half-time and we were 1-0 up, Ange just said: 'Keep pressing but when it doesn't work out just drop back and make sure we lock it,'" said Van de Ven. Brennan Johnson's goal secured the trophy with that very approach.
Despite the European success, Postecoglou was dismissed following the dismal Premier League finish. Van de Ven remained complimentary of his former boss's philosophy, stating, "I believe in his system because I think we played some unbelievable football." However, he conceded that adaptation was crucial at key moments, a lesson hard-learned but ultimately trophy-winning.
