EDDIE Howe ruled out immediate loan signings to boost Cherries’ promotion drive and insisted: Our inspiration must come from within.

The Dean Court boss had pondered a foray into the loan market and had been linked with a swoop for Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray.

However, Howe today revealed that he did not expect imminent additions and called on all parties to throw their support behind his Premier League-chasing squad.

In an impassioned interview with the Daily Echo, Howe said: “I don’t think we’re going to be active in the market at this moment in time. There is not the quality of player that we want.

“The ones we had looked at were not available so I think my message is very clear – let’s get behind the lads that we have in the squad, let’s not keep looking for external players to make us better, let’s stop looking for excuses.

“This is the squad that got to the top of the league and that I believe can get back to the top of the league with everything going our way.

“A lot of people have been saying we need to bring this player in and that player in. I think sometimes that can be a state of mind. If you hear it enough times you can end up believing it yourself.

“But I believe so much in this squad. It’s my job to make sure we are very positive and that we focus on what we can affect and that’s the group of players we have.

“This goes from top to bottom – we have to stop looking for inspiration from somewhere else. We have to have that within us and that message has to come from me.”

Cherries’ 2-1 loss to rejuvenated Nottingham Forest on Wednesday saw the Dorset side remain fourth in the Championship.

And while defeat at the City Ground might have provided fuel for Cherries’ doubters, Howe insisted the club’s “underdog” status was nothing new.

Howe added: “I think it goes with the territory at this football club. Bournemouth have always been written off.

“We were written off when we were in League Two and had the points deduction and were apparently going down, we were written off to get out of League Two with a transfer embargo, we were written off by people who said the club could never get in the Championship, written off to stabilise in the Championship and then to look to get into the Premier League.

“Bring it on. From my perspective we’ve always been the underdog, so nothing changes.”

Cherries host Blackburn at Dean Court tomorrow (3pm).