Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck insisted that he wasn’t concerned that the Premiership champions were sinking down the popularity ratings.

"Everyone is always trying to knock the top team off its pedestal. That is natural, we do not take it personally and accept that as a fact of life," Buck was quoted as saying by BBC on Thursday.

"Manchester United were at the top and people were taking pot-shots at them, we are getting a few too many pot-shots but we can deal with that," he added.

Chelsea crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Barcelona and faced charges from the England FA for failing to control their players against West Brom last weekend in a Premiership clash.

Asked about head coach Jose Mourinho, Buck: "Jose is a superb coach. He is a very kind, considerate human being, very family orientated."

"He really cares about the well-being of his players. He looks at them as human beings and he is trying to do the best for them," Buck added.

Chelsea top the Premiership standings with a tally of 72 points, 15 points ahead of runners-up Manchester United.