NIALL Quinn has opted not to hold crisis talks with Roy Keane, despite the Sunderland manager’s frank admission that he was questioning his position in the wake of last weekend’s humiliating home defeat to Bolton.

But with leading shareholder Ellis Short keen to have Keane’s contract situation resolved, the Black Cats chairman is coming under increasing pressure to schedule further discussions.

Quinn has spent the first half of this week abroad, but is expected to be in the directors’ box at Old Trafford on Saturday as Sunderland look to improve on a record of just three points from the last 18.

Quinn is performing a delicate balancing act, with a desire not to antagonise his combustible manager stacked against Ellis’ instructions to remove the uncertainty surrounding Keane’s refusal to sign a new deal.

Since becoming Sunderland’s biggest shareholder when he purchased 30 per cent of the club’s stock from the Drumaville consortium in September, Ellis has become increasingly influential.

The American was the driving force behind the appointment of Dutchman Chris Woerts as the commercial director and he will also play a prominent role in overseeing deals during the forthcoming transfer window.

He is understood to be concerned at the negative impact created by the persistent speculation over Keane’s position, and is exerting pressure on Quinn to clear up the current confusion.

That might be easier said than done, with Keane continuing to insist that his contractual situation is a personal matter, and denying that his current deal is a source of instability, despite its expiration in June.

The clock is not yet ticking on Keane’s reign, but with rumours of dressing room dissatisfaction providing a volatile backdrop to the supporters’ unrest that accompanied the second half of the Bolton game, the unthinkable should no longer be couched in such terms.

“It has been apparent for me for the last 18 months that Roy isn’t going to be a serious manager,” claimed Eamonn Dunphy, the Irish broadcaster who ghost-wrote Keane’s autobiography.

“He hasn’t had a settled side and I think he is in a fog at the moment. Everyone gets there at some point in your life, when things get too much for you. You don’t know where the levers for control are and he’s making some really silly decisions.”

The situation would change markedly if Sunderland were to spring a surprise at Manchester United, of course, and midfielder Andy Reid has urged his team-mates to remain unified ahead of Saturday’s game.

“Everybody needs to stick together,” said the Irishman.

“The manager said that straight after Saturday’s game, and all of the players have been saying it as well.

“We’re the only ones who can pick up the results we need. Other people can say whatever they want, but as players, we all know it’s up to us to turn things around.

We’ll only do that if we stick together and believe in our ability.

“We know we have the ability in the squad. But if we don’t pull together to get through this, none of that will matter.”

■ Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has named long-time Manchester United adversary Roy Keane as one of the best players he has ever played against.

Vieira and Keane clashed regularly as their two clubs battled it out for Premier League supremacy.

They most famously squared up to each other in the tunnel before a game at Highbury in February 2005.