Albion loan signing George O'Callaghan warned today the team is in danger of falling apart, because Dick Knight has been too slow to sort out contracts and loans.

The Ipswich midfielder launched a thinly disguised attack on the chairman following yesterday's 3-0 setback at Millwall.

Knight has hit back, accusing O'Callaghan of being "totally out of order" and "very unprofessional".

The Irishman's loan, together with that of Le Havre midfielder David Martot, runs out after Saturday's visit to Yeovil.

Matt Richards has already returned to Ipswich, Bas Savage has rejected a new contract and captain Dean Hammond's deal runs out at the end of the season.

O'Callaghan, 28, said: "There are a lot of lads who are very important to this team that don't know if they are coming or going and I think it's about time the club got a grip on it and sorted it out, because it has dragged on for too long and I feel it is starting to affect the players.

"I just don't think it is right and it's something the club needs to look at. It used to happen at Cork City when I was there and we lost a lot of good players. We lost Kevin Doyle and Shane Long for peanuts over contracts not being sorted out early and quickly.

"It makes you angry as a player. I can cope with it, because I am a lot older than the other lads, but the young lads are really upset and it's not right.

"The gaffer has said he wants to keep me on loan until the end of the season but it's not ideal at the moment.

"It's funny that other clubs are speaking to me and the one I am playing for at the moment hasn't spoken to me much.

"I know the manager tries his best behind the scenes. He is fantastic. I think he works with a very small budget. It must be more frustrating for him, because he has built a team and it could easily fall apart now.

"Things should have been sorted out a lot quicker. It has been a big thing in the squad in the last few weeks. I've mentioned it and the club need to sort it out now.

"Obviously, players want to speak about their futures. I know players are upset about it. It's sad to see. They are all professionals doing a job and when your future lies in the balance it's very frustrating.

"I had the same at Ipswich last season and it affects your whole life really. I don't think it's fair that people hold people's careers in the balance and leave them wondering where they are going to go.

"It looks like the team we had two weeks ago could fall apart and the gaffer will have to try and make other signings and probably end up spending more. It's just a disaster really, because I think we could get promotion.

"I don't want to stay and then see our best lads go, like Hammo. If we want to make that push for the play-offs and get back into the Championship it needs to be sorted."

Albion's tame defeat at The Den and O'Callaghan's criticism left Knight seething.

He said: "The team's performance was absolutely woeful. I think certain players should be looking at themselves before trying to deflect criticism elsewhere. I thought it was a disgrace.

"George O'Callaghan is totally out of order. I would suggest he is trying to deflect attention away from his own performance, which was frankly poor, and he wasn't the only one.

"Young players within the club are dealt with contract wise as and when the time is right. He must be talking about himself, Bas Savage and Matt Richards.

"I agreed with Ipswich about two or three weeks ago about extending the loans of O'Callaghan and Richards until the end of the season and that was made quite clear to the players.

"George, when told, made clear to Dean Wilkins he was not interested in committing himself at this stage and that he wanted to consider his options at the end of the season.

"Matt said he also wanted to consider his options and that his agent had told him there was another club coming in.

"I think George has been very unprofessional because we have given him the chance to shine and show his talents.

"Negotiations with Dean Hammond are ongoing and will come to a conclusion in the near future.

"Right now it is not resolved and it's not George O'Callaghan's business to tell the club what we should be doing. I am a very experienced chairman who has dealt with player negotiations for a long time."

Is George O'Callaghan right?