Everton manager Sam Allardyce has hit out at the media for fuelling speculation about his future at Goodison Park.
Speaking as he prepared to face Liverpool in Saturday's home Merseyside derby, Allardyce voiced frustration at talk that his tenure would not continue beyond the end of the season.
"Your lives are really run by Facebook, Twitter and Instagram far too much," he said at a news conference. "You're professional journalists -- you shouldn't listen to speculating unprofessionals.
"There are a few that are complaining. There are a few that speculate my reign at the end of the season is going to not be here. On radio, on TV, in papers and of course social media... so you create the stir. But for me that's only a small minority.
"That's what we live with. I understand it. When [Everton owner] Farhad [Moshiri] rings me up and says: 'Sam we don't want you any more,' then I know I'm not wanted. When everyone else says I'm not wanted or I'm going to be changed, I don't listen to it.
"I personally don't think I could have done much more than I have done with the staff that I've got in the period of time I've been working here."
It is more than seven years and 16 matches since Everton were able to celebrate victory over their closest rivals, with Liverpool winning four of the last five encounters.
But with Saturday's derby coming ahead of Liverpool's Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Manchester City, Allardyce said he hoped his team could exploit the timing.
"I think it's an advantage we could possibly take. If we had to play Liverpool in a derby match it's a good time to do that, I don't think there's any doubt about that.
"Anything can happen in derby matches but nothing has happened too positively in terms of any victories. We were very pleased we got a draw at Anfield [1-1 in December].
"Really the approach has to be, like it was then, about us getting better at nullifying their attacking options because the goal scoring ability of Liverpool is their main strength and we have to snuff that out. The players can do it if they really believe it."
Everton are set to welcome back influential midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye after a hamstring injury.