Andre Villas-Boas has admitted that he has no concerns over being disliked by his Chelsea players, also reiterating that the media have "unfairly treated" the Blues.
The ex-Porto boss has put pressure on his side to get a result against Manchester City on Monday evening by claiming that they could be out of the title race if defeated.
When asked if he was bothered by his players liking him, the 34-year-old replied: "I don't care."
The Portuguese manager also stated that he has a "love and hate relationship" with the British press.
"A lot of things that were said, most of the things, were wrong," Villas-Boas said. "One day I will open the doors of training for you guys for a couple of days and you will see the players have the talent and ability and want to compete. That's what we hold on to during extreme criticism.
"It's fair for you guys to admit that the media darlings of the press are blue collar and not Chelsea. We were unfairly treated a couple of times, and fairly by yourselves in the beginning."
The former Premier League champions host Man City at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening.
Danielle Joynson
