NIGEL PEARSON has warmed up for Leicester City's crucial Premier League visit of Newcastle United by launching in to a bizarre rant against a journalist.

The former Magpies coach, an ex-Middlesbrough skipper, took the unusual step of asking if the journalist - Ian Baker of the Wardle Whittell Agency - was an 'ostrich' after taking exception to a question he was asked following a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday night. 

The reversal meant that Leicester remain a point above the Premier League relegation zone ahead of the Magpies' visit to the King Power Stadium this weekend.

Pearson, who has already had a spat with a journalist earlier in the season and had a verbal clash with fans, feels his players have received unfair criticism this season - even though they have only recently climbed out of the relegation zone. He was then asked what had upset him in particular.

The Foxes boss said: "Have you been on holiday for six months? Have you been away for six months?

"I think you must have been either 'head in the clouds' or away on holiday or reporting on a different team because if you don't know the answer to that question your question is absolutely unbelievable, the fact you do not understand where I am coming from.

"If you don't know the answer to that question then I think you are an ostrich. Your head must be in the sand. Is your head in the sand? Are you flexible enough to get your head in the sand? My suspicion would be no."

Despite the efforts of Leicester's press officer trying to bring an end to the post-match briefing, Pearson continued to talk to the journalist.

He added: "Listen, you have been here often enough and for you to ask that question, you are either being very, very silly or you are being absolutely stupid, one of the two because for you to ask that question. I am sorry son, you are daft.

"You are wrong. No, you are wrong. You have been in here, I know you have so don't give that crap with me, please don't give that crap with me. I will smile at you because I can afford to smile at you.

"Now do you want to ask a different question or do you want to ask it differently. Come on, ask it. Ask it or are you not capable?"

Baker was interviewed on Talksport this morning. He said: “As a journalist you have to have thick skin and be able to take these things ...

“I think he probably did cross the line and I think he will admit that he did. I don’t know whether he will apologise or not. If he would like to apologise to me, I would certainly accept the apology.

“He is a very passionate football man and, having briefly got to know him away fromthe media, he presents a very different picture. Away from the cameras he has come across as a top notch guy.”

Newcastle will hope Pearson’s actions will have had a negative impact on Leicester as the Tyneside club look to end a seven-match losing streak which has left them just five points within the relegation zone with four matches remaining.