Peace: We'll fight to keep gaffer

Tony Mowbray" class="imageframe imgalignright" height="130" src="http://www.expressandstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/wd2782030.thumbnail.jpg" width="175"/>Albion chairman Jeremy Peace has insisted he has the ambition to keep Championship-winning Tony Mowbray at The Hawthorns for the long-term.

Mowbray was today celebrating his second manager of the month award at The Hawthorns as Peace spoke out about the threat of bigger clubs poaching his manager.

Mowbray has been linked with his former club Middlesbrough and was an outside bet with the bookies when it looked recently as if Gordon Strachan would lose his job at Celtic.

And the Baggies attractive style of play, which has seen them score more than 100 goals for the last two seasons, has left fans nervous of an approach from bigger clubs.

But Peace is confident he can keep Mowbray at the club thanks to the "happiness factor" that has been created at the club.

"I'm sure he'll be on a few lists," said Peace. "It's up to us as a football club to make sure he stays with us and stays happy.

"When he joined us I said to Tony that we would just try to provide him with the platform to be successful.

"We've achieved that this season and I know he's very anxious for the Premier League challenge.

"I think it's the job for me and our colleagues on the board to try to provide Tony with the platform to continue to succeed and hopefully, if our ambitions remain in the same place, Tony will be happy to continue with us.

"It's a very good working relationship which we all have with Tony, and I think you've seen from the way the players are with him that he has their respect.

"I'm hoping we can make a good fist of it next season.

"We've stuck to our principles.

"Tony wanted to set the team up a certain way and play open, attacking football," added Peace.