BOSS Eddie Howe insisted he had no desire to “manipulate” pre-season fixtures in order to gain positive results.

Cherries are set for two tough home clashes in the form of Real Betis tomorrow (7pm) and Marseille on Saturday (3pm).

The La Liga and Ligue 1 outfits have both qualified for this season’s Europa League, having finished sixth and fourth in their respective divisions.

With his side having drawn 1-1 at Bristol City and lost 2-0 at Nottingham Forest last weekend, Howe is keen to see true pre-season tests keep coming.

He told the Daily Echo: “I think you can manipulate the games to win every pre-season game, if you want to.

“But for us, it was about making sure we were ready for the Premier League and that there were no surprises.

“So when the season kicks off, the players aren’t surprised by the intensity, demand or the type of quality they are playing up against.”

Speaking about this weekend’s clashes, he added: “Every time we play a pre-season game against established European sides it’s great for us and great exposure for the players.

“It’s great for our supporters to see different cultures and different football. We are really pleased to host these two games.”