Sam Allardyce has leapt to the defence of Nigel Pearson after the Leicester City boss launched a verbal attack on a journalist following his side's 3-1 defeat to Chelsea last night.

Pearson made headlines for labelling reporter Ian Baker an "ostrich" in an ugly verbal exchange that ended when the Foxes boss stormed out of the press conference.

The result at the King Power left City one point above the danger zone in 17th, and the West Ham United boss says that the "outburst" was borne out of the pressure of fighting a relegation battle.

"When you are down there dealing with the pressures that come upon in terms of staying in the Premier League, I think it is a huge pressure for everybody to continue to work under that situation and come through it," he told reporters.

"What surprises me is this condescending attitude about what should happen to Nigel that I have been hearing about this morning. 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.

"But I listen to the world of the media and sometimes it really does baffle me what they come out with in terms of what he should or shouldn't be doing."

Watch Pearson's exchange with Baker here.