Burnley take on Stoke City at Turf Moor on Wednesday night - the first of six remaining home matches - with the frontman believing the camaraderie of the players can help achieve their survival target.

Blake has been in this situation before, with Bradford, fighting for their Premier League lives, and winning the battle in 2000 by beating Liverpool at home on the last day.

And the 34-year-old is passing on his experience by trying to keep everyone relaxed: "We knew there would be times in the season where it would get tough, and it's nice when you have a few jokers, it keeps you on your toes.

"A bit of banter relieves the pressure, and that will be evident this week with the two games coming up.

"We've got to be focussed, but have no nerves, and have the belief to go out there and express ourselves.

"You can't print some of the jokes in the paper, but there's been allsorts going on!

"We've got a good set of lads that like to socialise together, we enjoy each other's company, and if we have nights out, everybody's there, and that helps you.

"But we've got six games out of 10 at home, and we've got to use that to our advantage.

"If we can pick some points up away from home as well, that would be a big help."

If anything, Blake feels the pressure is on the clubs in and around Burnley, with the Clarets widely predicted to go down as soon as the final whistle went at Wembley: "We're not only a point from safety, but there's four or five teams down there, so we've still got a chance.

"There's no pressure on us, there's more pressure on the other teams, who are all expected to stay in the league.

"We weren't, so we're in a no-lose situation.

"If we win, it's bad news for them, and if they win, they're expected to get out of it.

"Even Wolves were more expected to stay up than us because they were champions, although I believe we're a better side.

"This time last year, no-one would have thought we would get in the play-offs, even when we went on that great run it was 'Reading this and Sheffield United that', but we firmly believed if we got a team over one game, we'd beat them, and we did that.

"As long as we go quietly about our business, that's fine with me, we've got six home games out of 10 and that gives us a massive chance."

After Stoke, Wolves are next up at Turf Moor on Saturday, and Blake added: "It's a funny league, Middlesbrough and Newcastle could have stayed up on the last day of the season last year and only won one in 20-odd or something like that.

"Everton were below us 10 games ago, and now eight points off the Champions League.

"If we win these two games, we're mid-table and it's a big life to us, with a home game against Blackburn to come, Hull away, Wigan away - they're games you can win, we're not going to the Emirates and Old Trafford."

Blake is one of a number of players out of contract at the end of the season, but, regardless of which league Burnley are in, he wants to stay: "As far as I'm aware, the gaffer's spoken to my agent and the club are trying to sort out a deal, so hopefully that can happen.

"I love the club, it's fantastic - I just hope I was playing a bit more, but every player's like that.

"It's frustrating knowing you've got a lot to offer, and you're not sticking the boots on, although I seem to figure in the home games.

"It would be nice to play away from home as well, we'll see what happens."