EDDIE Howe revealed Cherries have held social media briefings to prevent players becoming embroiled in online disputes.

Benik Afobe this week responded to an article in the Express & Star in which Wolves head of recruitment Kevin Thelwell accused Cherries’ January recruit of “no longer trying” at his former club.

The 23-year-old, who has three goals to show for his first five Premier League matches, launched a staunch defence via Twitter.

It came less than a month after Lee Tomlin had posted on the site about his future before a leaked direct message exchange, which was not verified as involving Tomlin, was critical of Howe and the club’s facilities. He was later loaned to Bristol City.

Addressing the perils of Twitter, Howe said: “I don’t think it is a problem for us, more a problem for football in general.

“It is a way of communicating and, sometimes, without the players knowing, it can end up in confrontation.

“You can think you’re speaking to someone when you’re not, there are hoaxes and so on and it is a situation in which the players have to be very guarded about what they say.

“It is not something I have ever been on or would ever want to go on but you have to respect the people who do want to use it, as long as it is used in a positive way.

“We have meetings to discuss everything, the pitfalls that go with it.

“I think sometimes, in the emotion of a conversation, players can forget for a split second the harm that tweets can do, not just for them but for the club and their careers. It is something we consistently remind them of.”

Afobe posted that the slurs in the article, which also contained criticism from Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey, had been “too shocking and very hurtful” but insisted he would not comment beyond what he had tweeted.

Howe is keen for his new recruit to leave the matter in the past.

“From our perspective, we are only worried about the future,” he added. “What happened with Benik and Wolves is their relationship and their story, I don’t think it is anything to do with us.

“When signing Benik, we acted in absolutely the right way and were delighted to get the player.

“He has started so well for us so with him, I would rather talk about that and his future and I think Benik feels the same.

“His mindset is to focus on us and the game rather than worry about comments made by his former club.

“I have no problem with Benik’s attitude. You can only interact with people as you see fit and can’t look back.

“He has made a huge impression on the squad, has a really good work ethic and a good temperament.

“I have to say, with a big transfer attached to his name, he has handled the situation really well so those are positive signs for the future.”