Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has apologised after calling a journalist an "ostrich" during a bizarre exchange in a news conference.
Pearson has received disapproval for his comments following his side's 3-1 defeat to Chelsea at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday night.
Asked to elaborate by writer Ian Baker on claims his players were receiving constant criticism this season, Pearson replied: "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."
Pearson started Thursday's news conference ahead of Saturday's game against Newcastle, however, by apologising to Baker.
He said: "Ian, before we start, apologies for last night. I think it's right to do it in front of the cameras rather than pulling you to one side, so I apologise for that and I hope it doesn't ruin our relationship.
"I react, that's it. I think it's emotion as much as anything, which again I am not afraid of. I'm not afraid of showing my emotions. I get labelled with certain titles, which is people's prerogative to say what they want about me and I'm happy to fight my own corner.
"But I will also accept when I have stepped out of line, which is why Ian's due an apology. It's the right thing for me to do today.
"I wasn't happy with losing the game. There we are, I don't like losing. I felt for the players -- they worked exceptionally hard again and tried to keep the run going."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce defended Pearson over his comments earlier on Thursday, saying: "People have been talking about bullying and stuff like that -- what a load of rubbish. It's an outburst. Simple as that, plain and simple."
Pearson has been involved in a number of controversies this season, having used expletives in a disagreement with a fan, appeared to put his hands around the throat of Crystal Palace's James McArthur and ended another spat with a journalist with a series of unpleasantries.