Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis felt he became "pigeonholed" at Stoke City.
Pulis has guided Palace to Premier League safety since taking charge in midseason.
"People, especially in this country, are big on perception and I think you do get pigeonholed," he told the Mail on Sunday. "I am not what people think I am. That doesn't worry me because I get on with my job. My view is you play to what strengths you've got, and you do the best you can with that.
"It hurt in some respects when it was over at Stoke but I am a very pragmatic person. I have been in football a long time and understand there is always stuff that will go your way and stuff that won't.
"The great thing was it was clean. There wasn't a jagged, messy affair. The way Peter and John Coates handled it was class."
