Leicester City's Nigel Pearson calls reporter 'an ostrich' in postgame rant
After his club lost 3-1 to Chelsea on Wednesday, exasperated Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson lobbed a verbal rant at a reporter, calling him an ostrich for his lack of acknowledgement at what Pearson called unfair criticism of his team, The Independent reported.
Reports surfaced in early February Pearson had been fired by Leicester City after he appeared to choke a Crystal Palace player who had collided with him on the sideline during a game.
In November, Pearson was fined 10,000 pounds for engaging in an altercation with a Leicester City fan.
Leicester City is in 17th place in the English Premier League standings.
A full transcript of the exchange between Pearson and journalist Ian Baker of Wardles press agency is below (transcript provided courtesy of Britain's The Independent).
What criticism are you talking about?
Have you been on holiday for six months? Have you been away for six months?
I am not quite sure what specific criticism you are referring to?
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.
Probably not.
I can, you can’t. You can’t. 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.
There hasn’t been much harsh criticism of the players.
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?
I just don’t know what you, erm…
You don’t know. What’s erm?
I don’t know how you’ve taken that question.
Well you must be very stupid. I’m sorry.
- Will Green
