Chelsea chief Frank Arnesen insists sporting directors can work in the Premiership.

Arnesen has seen former club Tottenham go back to the traditional English model of a manager in charge with the appointment of Harry Redknapp.

"Tottenham have chosen to go back to the old-fashioned English system and it could work fantastically," Arnesen, 52, told BBC Sport. "The problem comes when a club gives all the responsibility to one person, results go against him and he leaves.

"He takes his chief scout with him and all of a sudden the club's knowledge and information is gone.

"The new man comes in, spends a lot of money changing everything and takes the team in a new direction.

"A sporting director brings continuity. In over 45 years at PSV they had about 25 managers but only three sporting directors who covered that whole period.

"The sporting director should be the one consistent piece in the jigsaw so that information, knowledge and structures remain in place for the long term and help ensure sustained success."