ROY Keane admitted he was at his lowest since joining the club almost a year ago, after watching his Sunderland side comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Luton at Kenilworth Road last night.

"It was a massive disappointment for us and the most disappointed I've been since I've come to the club - and I've only been a manager two minutes," said Keane, who had a £2.5m offer accepted for 28-year-old Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham yesterday.

"It's how we respond to it. All the players are disappointed, the supporters, as well as the staff.

"We put a strong enough team out but we didn't do a lot of basics tonight.

"We always felt the first goal would be important, especially away from home. And our players have to do the basics like standing in a wall.

"Every goal you reflect is sloppy but especially the second one. But if we had got the first goal in the second half we would have been back in it, but a few things didn't go our way - such as the sending off. Overall I was disappointed in the referee's performance, but it'll have to have a look at it.

"It confirms certain things you already know. I am the manager and I pick the team and it is up to me to get the job done. Even after tonight it makes me even more determined. I never thought for one minute that there wasn't a lot of hard work ahead of us."

But defensive reinforcements is not the only area where the club needs strengthening after it was revealed skipper Dean Whitehead could miss the rest of the season with a cruciate knee injury.

Keane added: "We need a few players, especially as Dean Whitehead will be out for a few months, so we need to strengthen."