DESPITE Roy Keane confirming that he’s not ‘a quitter’ his immediate future as Sunderland manager remains uncertain.

Keane has enjoyed unequivocal support from the club’s board since being persuaded by Niall Quinn to revive the Black Cats’ fortunes two years ago.

And while there is no sign that the chairman is about to dispense with his former international team-mate’s services, there’s a growing possibility that Keane will give himself a vote of no confidence.

The next 48 hours will reveal a lot about the Cork man’s future on Wearside.

Immediately after Saturday’s fourth consecutive home defeat, when the Black Cats’ boss was asked if he was considering leaving the club, his reply was laden with ambiguity.

“Not today, no. But maybe tomorrow. I ask myself every day of the week.

“You keep asking me about being a quitter and I don’t think I am a quitter,” said Keane, his usually unshakable self-belief wavering.

The club’s hierarchy have become alarmed by the manner in which the euphoria following victory in the Wear- Tyne derby has disappeared.

Keane’s expensively assembled squad lack belief and confidence.

An immediate improvement in results will be vital to Keane retaining the support of the key decision-makers at the club.

Since American investor Ellis Short became the club’s major shareholder, significant funds have been made available to bring in the type of players who were supposed to secure Sunderland’s Premier League status.

But while Short may be a relative novice in the world of football, his business acumen will tell him that relegation cannot be countenanced.

Sunderland now sit third bottom of the division with a trip to Manchester United looming on Saturday; this is becoming a bleak winter for the Wearsiders.

Defeat at Old Trafford will not significantly increase pressure on Keane’s position.

But failure to get points from subsequent games against West Brom, Hull City and Blackburn would.

With his current contract set to expire in the summer, the talk over recent months has been around when Keane would sign a new deal.

Sunderland’s dramatic slump, losing six of their last seven games, begs the question: will Keane now be offered a new deal?

After seeing his side slump to a 4-1 defeat against Bolton, he bristled at the suggestion that his failure to pen a new deal is causing unrest among his squad.

“It’s none of their business, my contract situation. If you’ve got anything about you and you’re a footballer you just focus on yourself.

“You’ve got enough going on with your own performances.

It shouldn’t be an issue and I very much doubt it is,” he insisted.

“I clearly haven’t done my job well enough today. And again I can’t blame the players, it’s the manager. Simple as that. The manager.

“That’s why you go into the football club, to take it to the next level.

“I think I’ve done an OK job, I thought getting promoted was going to be quite easy, but staying up last year was very, very tough,” confirmed Keane.

“I obviously wanted to go to the next level, brought in lots of players, lots and lots of players, and we’re coming up short at this moment in time and there’s only one person responsible for that and that’s myself.”

Prior to Saturday’s game, Keane spoke about his inability to find an outlet for relieving the intense pressure of top-flight management.

He may ultimately decide that peace of mind can only be reached away from the game.