Don Givens has fiercely criticised some of the media coverage of the search for a successor to Steve Staunton, branding claims, in particular, by last weekend's Star on Sunday that he had phoned two broadcasters to reveal that Sam Allardyce had entered the fray as "downright lies".

His comments came after a journalist with the paper supplied him with the phone number of Allardyce's agent and apparently suggested that the sacked Newcastle manager might be interested in the Ireland job.

Contacted later by other journalists and asked if Allardyce's representatives had been in touch, Givens said they hadn't, but he confirmed he had been given the agent's number although he had not made any attempt to establish contact. The paper subsequently ran an editorial in which it alleged he had initiated the contact with two radio stations, something the former Ireland striker yesterday described as "bollocks".

Givens expressed some frustration at a number of other stories that have appeared in recent weeks suggesting the three-man committee had made contact with particular individuals. Former England boss Graham Taylor had, FAI officials confirmed yesterday, been in touch to express concern that it was being reported he had been interviewed when he had not. The 63-year-old was upset that it would appear he had lost out to somebody else in the race for the job when in fact he had not been a contender.

"The speculation we can put up with," said Givens. "And saying that the whole thing is all proving to be very slow I can understand because that's fact. Downright lies, though, are difficult to accept. I don't mind people speculating that it might be him. But people saying that we have met people, that we searched out people. That's just lies and the lies shouldn't be allowed.

"There was stuff before (the Allardyce story) but the stuff at the weekend was crazy," he continued. "They printed that I rang two radio stations. You boys probably know me well enough and do you think that would have been a possibility? No chance."

The search for the new manager, he said meanwhile, was progressing well although, on the day it was reported in England that Lawrie Sanchez will now meet the three-man recruitment team, he confirmed that dates and times for a number of interviews have still to be finalised.

"We're working our way through (the candidates) and we're getting there. We'll be meeting John to tell him the progress that has been made but we've kept him informed and we have been allowed to get on with it."

Givens said it was still possible that he, Don Howe and Ray Houghton would be in a position to make a recommendation to the FAI board meeting next Tuesday.

"In some ways, the few days here (Sofia) haven't helped," he said. "They've delayed it again.

"And next week I'm in Dublin for my pro licence - Sunday to Thursday in Malahide - and that doesn't help me either.

"But we're trying to manoeuvre things around."