Stoke City manager Tony Pulis believes that Jermaine Pennant's critical comments on Twitter have been blown out of proportion.

Reports suggested that the former Liverpool winger was taking a swipe at the Potters boss when he tweeted his frustration at being positioned at full-back for Stoke's 2-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic.

"What he said has been taken completely out of context, and that is what can happen," said Pulis. "There are people out there who monitor these sites and they'll see something and they'll feed off it.

"It's great for the negativity of our press organisations up and down the country when people like Jermaine go on there and say things to whoever picks them up.

"I find it amazing the way these social networks run and people do what they do on them. They're talking to a bunch of Herberts they don't even know, and they are opening themselves up to these Herberts. For me, it is beyond my common sense to do that."

Pulis believes that the 29-year-old's blast on Twitter may have taught him to refrain from venting via the social network site.

"[Pennant] has most probably learned a lesson by doing it because you are just waiting for people to pick things up and then twist and turn it the way they want to."

Stoke are due to go head to head with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.