EDDIE Howe insisted he would continue to ignore the opinions of pundits – both good and bad – and said he would never open himself up to social media.

Howe has received positive and negative observations for Cherries’ style of play since masterminding the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2015.

Only this week, he had praise lavished on him by ex-England and Arsenal star Paul Merson for his attacking philosophy – and criticism from some quarters for fielding a much-changed team in the FA Cup.

His reference to Howe came ahead of Theo Walcott’s £20million move to Everton with Merson suggesting he should have joined Cherries as they would have been the “perfect fit” for him.

Merson's compliment followed former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness last month accusing Howe of being “a little bit naïve” against the Premier League's big guns and saying “there should be a slightly different approach”.

Responding, Howe told the Daily Echo: “One week, you are criticised for being too open, naïve, et cetera, et cetera.

“And the next, if you win, you are praised for your attacking philosophy, letting your attacking players play with freedom and your style of football.

“Where’s the truth? – I think it is always somewhere in the middle.

“We are battling to try to be better defensively but to not lose our attacking instincts.

“We want to create and entertain the crowd and don’t ever want to be viewed as a negative team but want to try to stay in the Premier League.

“All these things you are battling with consistently. The key for me is not to read one comment from Graeme Souness and not to read another from Paul Merson and to keep myself out of it.”

Asked whether he feared new media, Howe replied: “I don’t fear it because these things are only there if you open yourself up to them.

“Social media is a big no-no for me because I don’t know how to work it anyway and I wouldn’t know how to use it.

“It is not something I can ever see myself wanting to engage in. You are only open to other forms of media if you allow yourself to be so I try to cut myself off and focus on the job.

“I know what type of job I am doing. Other people can have an opinion but maybe not an opinion I want to hear.”

Howe also said he had sympathy for Arsene Wenger following the widespread criticism he had received in the wake of Cherries’ win over Arsenal: “It is just the way it is now, especially when you are managing one of the top clubs.

“You lose a game and it is instant. The reaction is negative and toxic at times and it is hard for the managers at that level to take.

“They are human beings and I don’t think they should receive it. I am not just talking about Arsene, I am talking about the group.

“When you are in football, you know one result can happen and it is about handling it as a manager. It is important you don’t get too high or low.

“But the media is what it is and I don’t think it will change so I certainly feel for those guys on the back of a negative result.”