Robbie Blake insists Burnley can handle the step up in class in the Premiership.

He said: "Of course we can keep our footballing philosophies."

And the 33-year-old striker says the Clarets can follow the example of Stoke who were favourites for the drop last term but comfortably escaped.

"You have to take heart from teams like Stoke," he said. "They got written off but have done tremendously well and stayed up."