Mourinho's penchant for outspoken assessments of opponents and officials has ensured he has rarely been out of the spotlight since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2004.

The Portuguese coach often casts himself as a pantomime villain in an attempt to take the pressure off his players ahead of crucial matches, but his comments have occasionally over-stepped the mark, angering opposing managers and fans.

Mourinho is determined to change the public's perception of him and, with that in mind, he will take a more laid-back approach to the job this season.

"I want to be more mellow this year," he said. "I am what I am but, at the same time, people use my personality to create something that is not true.

"It is normal if I am emotional or if I react to something that is not fair. But people have an image of me that's incorrect and now I want it to be different."

Whether Mourinho will be able to keep his cool in the heat of what is sure to be another fierce battle for the Premiership remains to be seen.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez have been involved in several disputes with the Blues coach but, while Mourinho is unlikely to socialise with his rivals, he is adamant he won't be rowing with them either.

"I won't hug Arsene Wenger because he's not a close friend," Mourinho added. "But he can say what he wants about us.

"He can complain about a lot of things as he did in the past. I'm not ready to react. I just want to do my work and concentrate on that.

"I look at our opponents because I need to know the way they play but I'm not interested in what they say.

"My relationships with other people will not change. My bottle of wine with Ferguson will still be a bottle of wine, my handshake with Wenger will still be a handshake."

It isn't just his rivals that Mourinho has buried the hatchet with. After a series of disagreements with Roman Abramovich over transfer policy, a truce has been called with the Chelsea owner.

The pair sat down for a drink during the FA Cup holders' pre-season tour to Los Angeles, leaving Mourinho with a sense of job security that was missing last season.

"This is the first time I have started a fourth season with the same club and I feel great," he said. "I am happy with what we've done.

"I am happy with the relationship I have with my players and with the people who work with me. It's the best place to work so I am happy to be part of the Chelsea future. I didn't want to move.

"I think I did a good job at Chelsea for three years but I want to do more."