Paul Lambert says he is becoming frustrated by loan targets who refuse to buy into his Norwich City ethos.

The Canaries boss has come up empty-handed after weeks of scouring the market for players to help City's promotion push over the final 10 games of the Championship season.

But with little over a fortnight before the emergency market closes, Lambert insists he is happy to stick with the players who have taken City to third in the table.

'I have tried the loan market about a million times,' said Lambert, who was given a �2m transfer kitty boost by vice-chairman Michael Foulger last month.

'I am sick of phoning people. People don't want to come out and play, so that tells me something.

'If people want to run for me and work for me I will go to war with them rather than somebody maybe just coming for their own benefit or just getting some games in.

'I want lads that are hungry and that is what I have got.'

Lambert's team have surprised many observers this season by maintaining a top six spot for so long, but the 3-2 win at Leicester on Tuesday raised even more eyebrows, given the quality of the performance.

'A lot of the lads are still with me that played (in League One),' said Lambert. 'A couple of them moved on, and there are a few new lads – we got them obviously from the league below, which has been great for us because they are hungry to do well and I would rather have hungry players that want to aspire to do something than lads that just want to pick up money.'

While City were winning at the Walkers Stadium, some of their major rivals were dropping points, but promotion talk is still taboo with Lambert.

'There is no point at looking at other results if you can't take care of your own house,' he said. 'The main thing was to survive in the league. The club had a three-year plan to stay in the Championship and we have given them one hell of a fright.

'We have every chance as much as Leeds and Burnley and QPR and Cardiff and Swansea and Leicester - we are in the mix with a few others.'