GARRY Flitcroft believes Blackburn Rovers’ new owners should not be judged until the start of next season – but has warned his former side there is still work to do to preserve their Premier League status.

The former Ewood Park skipper was a member of the last Rovers squad to suffer the drop into the Championship, and predicts the most thrilling finale in Premier League history when it comes to deciding the relegation scrap this time around.

Flitcroft, who made more than 250 appearances for the club between 1996-2006, is adamant Rovers will comfortably survive this campaign although he reckons it could take a record points tally to guarantee safety.

He believes little can be read into Venky’s controversial start to their Rovers regime, claiming they need time to allow the club to settle down from the dramatic changes made in the last couple of months, but has warned no one can relax just yet.

He said: “I think it is going to be one of the most exciting ends to the season with regards to the bottom in Premier League history. Everyone looks capable of beating each other and it looks like all three positions could go down to the wire.

“Normally you have a team, sometimes two, who are cut adrift from the others but this FROM BACK PAGE season there are no whipping boys. That makes the relegation battle a lot more competitive.

“People talk about the magic 40 point mark but I think it is going to take more than that this season. There are still probably 10 or 11 sides who will be anxiously looking over their shoulders.

“Blackburn are still one of them. They are doing okay and sitting near mid-table but, with only a five point cushion, there is no room to relax – not that I think they will.

“I expect Blackburn Rovers to stay up comfortably, I’m sure they will, but the longer they go without a win, the more pressure there will be on them to pick up results.

“You can’t think you are safe just because you are an established Premier League side either, look at Aston Villa and Everton – and they are in real danger now.”

Flitcroft, whose Chorley side play Chester in a crunch clash today, admits he was stunned by the start to Venky’s reign as Rovers owners.

The Indian poultry giants marked their arrival with the shock sacking of Sam Allardyce and replacing him with managerial novice Steve Kean.

He insists though little can be read into a mixed run of results during the start to the new era and believes Venky’s and Kean have to be given a whole summer at the helm before a judgement can start to be made.

“When Rovers lost Sam Allardyce it was a real shock,” said Flitcroft. “It was a shock for the players as well. I am friends with a few of them still and none of them expected that.

“I am also a real admirer of John Williams after the job he has done at Blackburn Rovers over the years. He is a genuine guy, a great football person and he will be missed there is no doubt about that.

“Steve Kean is doing an alright job in terms of results and the lads obviously like him and are responding to him, which means he is the right man for the job.

“But I have to admit I have no clue what to think about what is happening at the club at the moment. This is a completely new start for the club and there is a lot of uncertainty around still.

“You can’t judge the new owners until the summer has been and gone really because it takes time for so many changes to take shape. Come the summer, Kean will be able to put more of a stamp on things.

“He will hopefully be able to add to the squad and get the lads playing his way, which seems to be more of a football style. Sam Allardyce did get results though.

“Ask me again after the summer and I will have a clearer idea about what direction the club are heading.”