Pochettino could be one returning figure that works

For a competition which incessantly markets itself as the greatest export of progressive football, it is baffling how many familiar faces repeatedly crop up in Premier League managerial positions.

Football is a manager’s medium. They get plenty of media attention and are invariably the ones to blame when their team is defeated.

The Premier League boasts some of the top managerial talents in the world, but it also features plenty of journeymen.

Leeds United appointed Sam Allardyce last week – an all-too-familiar face. Crystal Palace dumped Patrick Vieira and replaced him with Roy Hodgson.

While they may enjoy a quick upturn in their fortunes, the decisions smack of short-term thinking.

It was a similar story at Chelsea, with Frank Lampard returning for a second stint in charge after the club sacked Graham Potter.

Their form only got worse. One defeat followed another, with the players and manager failing miserably at every turn.

This prompted co-owner Todd Boehly to act. It has been heavily rumoured that former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to take over as Chelsea boss.

However, this could be one managerial reemergence that works – behind which there is a genuine long-term vision.

Pochettino, jobless since his departure from Paris Saint Germain last July, has been a hugely sought-after manager despite winning nothing at Tottenham.

Spurs enjoyed their highest-ever Premier League finish under Pochetttino, with the title in 2015/16 just eluding them.

He took them to their first Champions League final, where they fell short against Liverpool.

It was a managerial spell filled with thoughts of what might have been, but his efforts received widespread praise.

In the time following his spell at Spurs, Pochettino was linked with some of the biggest jobs in football.

Real Madrid and Manchester United were eager to appoint him, but he ended up with PSG. His time there was bittersweet at best.

He won his first-ever trophy as a manager when his side beat Marseille in the French Super Cup.

However, he failed to win the league title in his first season and was unable to end the club’s long wait to lift the Champions League trophy.

PSG won the title in his second season, but another failure in Europe saw him axed. He now has a chance to remind everyone why he is so highly rated.

Chelsea are in total disarray. Their lowest-ever Premier League finish was 14th in the 1993/94 season. The bottom half beckons this term, although they will not be quite as low.

Appointing Lampard was a temporary fix which didn’t fix anything. He has failed to get the team firing, and his managerial reputation is in tatters.

It has been turbulent and chaotic under the new owners, with wild spending on players but no real plan in place to organise the pieces.

Pochettino can bring back balance. It will allow the club to relax so they can begin to plan efficiently during the summer.

Chelsea have some excellent players at their disposal. It will be tough for Pochettino to find the right formula, but he knows the league and its demands.

As long as the owners and fans give him time, he has the ability to lift Chelsea out of the doldrums and get them winning again.