EDDIE Howe says he hopes to be Cherries boss for “longer than the foreseeable future”, insisting his "heart is very much here".

Chairman Jeff Mostyn told the BBC this week that the club would “never” need to hand Howe a vote of confidence and that the 39-year-old would “continue to be our manager for the foreseeable future”.

A sequence of one win in eight Premier League games has seen Cherries slip six places to 14th in the table, albeit with a six-point buffer to the drop zone.

And Howe insisted any talk about his situation pales against his desire to get his team moving in the right direction.

He told the Daily Echo: “I don’t read articles in the press because there’s no benefit in me doing that. I hope it’s longer than the foreseeable future that I’m here.

“My heart is very much here and I’m looking forward to getting back to winning games.”

Mention of the spotlight currently being turned on Leicester’s title-winning boss Claudio Ranieri – with the Foxes now in the thick of a battle to beat the drop – led to Howe giving an insight into the ceaseless speculation surrounding top-flight bosses.

He said: “It goes with the territory. You do begin to expect it, but you don’t always agree with the things you hear.

“For me that’s crazy to suggest his (Ranieri’s) job would be under pressure after everything he’s achieved for that club.

“But that’s the way the Premier League and football is at the minute, you just have to accept that.”

Howe says his team will enter Monday’s clash with Manchester City buoyed by memories of the emphatic manner in which Cherries have responded when their backs have been against the wall.

He also pointed to the strength of his club's support as being a significant weapon in Cherries' armoury.

“This is a lovely club when you’re succeeding and doing well but it’s also a nice club when you’re not,” said Howe. “That’s the true test of the people’s character.

“We’ve had blips before. When we were going for promotion from League One we lost five games in a row.

"Everyone thought the wheels had come off and we were going to sink into oblivion again.

“We came back with renewed strength and vigour. The supporters backed us through that moment with no problems and I think that’s the real strength behind the fanbase.

“I would urge the supporters to really get behind the team for every game between now and the end of the season, because of the position we’re in.

“We’ll need them to be like the extra player they’ve been for us throughout the years.”

Howe revealed defenders Adam Smith, Charlie Daniels and Simon Francis all face a race to be fit for City’s visit.

The trio are nursing knocks which have prevented them from training this week.