Micky van de Ven fires dig at former Tottenham manager over style of play | OneFootball

De Zerbi’s predecessor was dismissed after dismal run last term

Micky van de Ven appears to have aimed a dig at former Tottenham boss Thomas Frank about the Dane’s style of play.

The former Brentford manager was sacked by Spurs after just eight months in charge, overseeing just two wins in 17 Premier League matches.

He was replaced by Igor Tudor, who was quickly dismissed himself before Roberto De Zerbi took over the reins and steered the club - just about - away from a shock relegation and to safety.

Now, as the north London club prepare for their first full campaign under the Italian, Van de Ven seems to have fired a shot at his former head coach as Spurs continue on their pre-season tour in Australia and New Zealand.

"It's going to be different compared to the manager we had last season," Van de Ven told reporters of Tottenham’s style of play.

"It's going to be more with the ball, I think, more about playing football. I think it's also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we'll be playing offensive football.

"You can see he [De Zerbi] has brought a lot of passion into our group, a lot in terms of mentality and passion on the pitch.

"It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down.

"He brings a lot of good energy and, from pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team. That's really enjoyable."

De Zerbi is known for an aggressive, man-to-man approach that drew him plenty of admirers when he managed Shakthar Donetsk and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Frank, meanwhile, was pragmatic in his mentality, often adopting a counter-attacking style which was adapted to the opposition in front of his side.

Spurs began their pre-season tour with a 2-0 win over Auckland FC, and they face Sydney FC next.

They take on Chelsea later this week before two final friendlies against Getafe and Hoffenheim.