Jose Mourinho insists he "doesn't care" if his Manchester United players do not like his public criticism of them and said he feels this season can be the first of several "better years" at Old Trafford.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Chris Smalling have all had dressing-downs from Mourinho this season.
But the United manager insists his methods are for the good of the team -- and asked the players who are falling short of his standards to once again follow the example set by Marcus Rashford.
He told Sky Sports: "I don't care. I just try to be who I am. I try to be honest and direct. I don't think about the consequences. Give me everything, I'm happy for that. If you don't I ask you for more. It is just common sense. When you give everything you have I cannot demand more.
"Even Marcus [Rashford] not performing very well -- he was giving everything. I could never demand more. I could only support and say better days will arrive. I was always super happy with the approach. Some other guys don't give everything they have. They have to."
United head into Thursday's Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium knowing three points will lift them above City and into the top four. Fifth-placed United are currently one point and one position behind City.
The run-up to the game has been centred on the battle for Champions League places -- with six games to go, there remains a possibility that one Manchester club will miss out on a place in Europe's top club competition next season.
And Mourinho, who signed a three-year deal when he was appointed as boss last summer, said he sees the club on an upward swing, even if United won't win the title this term.
"It doesn't matter what happens in terms of titles we win or don't win," the 54-year-old said. "I always feel that the season is very important for me, the players and the club.
"I would say this can be the first season of the next five or six or seven. It can be the first season of better years.
"And the reality is even in the first season of better years we won already and we have already the chance to do good things until the end of the season.
"If we manage to win the Europa League and in August to play the European Super Cup against the Champions League winner, it will be magnificent."
The focus ahead of the first derby in September -- a game City won 2-1 -- was on Mourinho's first meeting with City counterpart Pep Guardiola in the Premier League after both took new jobs in the summer.
The pair had some explosive encounters in Spain as managers of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, but Mourinho is pleased their touchline duel is not the main talking point this time.
"I see it now that is the correct approach, the previous wasn't," he added. "This is about the clubs, the teams, this is about the positions in the end of the season. This is not about myself and Guardiola. I think now that is the correct approach."