Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe has slammed Hassan Kachloul over his transfer about-turn. The Southampton chairman launched a stining attack against the former Southampton player.

Lowe said: "I thought it was a disgrace. He gave Ipswich his word he would sign and then went to Aston Villa. In any situation, if you give your word to someone, you should honour that and I think it is wholly disappointing to see that Hassan has not. If you give your word and then break it, I think that is a disgrace whether you are a club or an individual player."

Lowe continued, perhaps suggesting that the player's agent, Eric Castagnino, might have been behind the change of heart: "I think Hassan is a genuinely good guy and he has broken his word. Perhaps he has been badly advised on this issue? I think it is a poor show if you give a club your word, put it out on your personal website and then renege on the deal a couple of days later. I do not think it reflects at all well on him and that is not normally something you would associate with Hassan."

He certainly seemed to be a popular figure with his team-mates at the Dell and according to Southampton-based journalists was always happy to provide an autograph to fans and never refused an interview with the press.

Lowe is as unimpressed with Kachloul's mercenary ways as George Burley and David Sheepshanks were yesterday: "At the end of the day, we do not want mercenaries. We want people who are committed to this club. He knew what we were prepared to pay and from our point of view, we believe in keeping some equality amongst our playing staff. If he is more committed to going to the highest bidder then I think we are better off without him. It is a shame it came to this though. I admire what he has done for us during his time here and thank him for his service."

Lowe feels for Ipswich and said the situation is an illustration of the state of football: "We gave him his break in English football and he repaid that, but the way he has treated Ipswich saddens me and says something about the modern game."

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