Nigel Pearson

Nigel Pearson is an intelligent, complex man who buys broadsheet newspapers to do the crosswords.
He readily admits he is a “miserable bugger”, detests “crap questions” from journalists and his press conferences are frequently an exercise in futility.

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson called a journalist an "ostrich", "stupid" and "daft" during a bizarre post-match news conference following Chelsea's 3-1 win at the King Power Stadium.The Foxes, on the back of four straight wins that lifted them out of the Premier League relegation zone, took a deserved first-half lead before Chelsea's second-half resurgence.After Pearson referred to "the amount of criticism and negativity" his side have faced this season, Ian Baker of Wardles Press Agency asked the Foxes boss to elaborate.

Football manager rants - the most explosive outbursts
But there can be no more excuses for Pearson’s increasingly erratic behaviour, following his latest confrontation in which he branded a freelance journalist “an ostrich”.His remarkable meltdown after Wednesday night’s defeat to Chelsea was misguided, rude and - most important of all - potentially damaging to Leicester.The club had won four games in a row before the visit of the league leaders and suddenly everyone was talking positively about Pearson’s players and how the great escape looked entirely possible.


Now the focus is back on Pearson and his behaviour at a time when concentration should fully be on avoiding a swift return to the Championship.There is a more serious issue, though, for every time he becomes involved in confrontation he is damaging the brand that Leicester City’s Thai owners are determined to establish across the Far East.The club’s owners are big on integrity, courtesy and dignity and while Pearson may be different behind closed doors, he is the public face of a Premier League football club.Is the pressure of keeping Leicester in the Premier League getting to him? Does he really have such a problem with innocous questions - even if he does deem them “crap” - to make such a scene?

Or is it all an elaborate plot to deflect attention and pressure away from his players, who remain in a relegation battle?It would be interesting to know the thoughts of those players. During interviews they always reflect on Pearson as a “great man-manager” and “not how he comes across on the TV” - which is probably a good thing.But what were they thinking when the clip of Pearson’s post-match press conference went viral? Did they find it funny or alarming?It undoubtedly detracted from what had been an impressive first-half performance but maybe that was Pearson’s plan all along.

Leicester face Newcastle on Saturday in a huge game for both clubs and there will now be added scrutiny on Pearson. Neutrals across the country will be patiently waiting for his next blow-up.