Liam Rosenior’s honeymoon is well and truly over

As single man in his 20’s, ‘the honeymoon period’ and toxic relationships are both things I am in the midst of learning all about.

And Liam Rosenior’s honeymoon period at Chelsea is well and truly over, with fans already dreading another nightmare encounter with European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The game against Newcastle at the weekend was a perfect example of what was a tale of two British managers.

Eddie Howe, on the other hand, has gone from being whispered about as a potential casualty of Newcastle’s lofty ambitions to a Toon hero once again.

And now his Geordie army are daring to dream ahead of a trip to Barcelona on Wednesday.

Anthony Gordon‘s 18th-minute goal was the difference, but Chelsea’s shambolic defending under Rosenior’s instruction was the reason for it.

For Chelsea, it exposed all the fragility that has crept back into their game.

Trevoh Chalobah was miles out of position and a victim of the Blues’ man-to-man instruction defensively, with Reece James nowhere near Joe Willock, and Wesley Fofana unable to keep up with the pace of Gordon.

Rosenior and his side were booed off at both half-time and full-time, with the mood inside Stamford Bridge turning increasingly toxic as sideways passes piled up and attacking ideas from Palmer and co ran dry.

Sour language aimed at 41-year-old Rosenior echoed from seats just to the right of the press box, and there was plenty of it.

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From the moment of his appointment, doubts lingered about whether Rosenior was ready to handle the pressure and expectations of managing a club of Chelsea’s stature.

This group, after all, are officially “World Champions”.

To his credit, he initially delivered.

Joao Pedro has been transformed into what looks like an elite number nine, and the Blues put together a run of five straight wins, albeit against modest opposition, only losing to Arsenal, which was somewhat forgivable.

Rosenior’s reaction to disappointing results and his feel-good factor with the players was winning fans over, with the honeymoon period in full swing.

But now, the familiar faults that plagued his predecessor, Enzo Maresca, have returned with a vengeance.

Dropped points from winning positions, lapses in discipline, and a defence that looks alarmingly easy to break through.

The humiliation in Paris last week shattered any illusion that Chelsea were closing the gap on Europe’s elite, and this defeat only intensified the scrutiny.

Supporters have not forgotten Rosenior’s controversial decision to drop Robert Sanchez for Filip Jorgensen in their biggest game of the season, and patience is already wearing thin with the man in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Worse may yet follow.

PSG’s visit to West London looks daunting, especially given Chelsea’s dire home form.

They have not won here since scraping past 10-man West Ham at the end of January.

Which, although it was a great showing of character, was against 10-man West Ham….

While Rosenior left the pitch to jeers, Howe departed to the sound of travelling Geordies in full voice.

“E I E I E I O, Up the Premier League we go” was a favourite among the visiting choir.

Only weeks ago, Howe too was under pressure as injuries mounted and Newcastle’s campaign threatened to stall.

Questions were asked about whether the club needed a bigger name to match its grand ambitions.

Now he looks firmly back in charge.

This was not Newcastle at their thrilling best, but crucially, they got the job done.

All the more impressive without their first-choice midfield, with Bruno Guimaraes missing with a thigh injury and Sandro Tonali suffering from illness.

They struck early and slammed the door shut on the Blues.

Chelsea had plenty of possession but little purpose, a common theme of their season and one that Newcastle capitalised on.

Blocks were celebrated like goals, and clearances were greeted with roars from the away end – every Cole Palmer or Liam Delap attempt that ended up wide of the post (or somewhere on the Kings Road) was jeered beyond belief.

Newcastle’s players delivered and looked like a team that has learned from their winter wobble.

It was not pretty, but it was the kind of away performance that builds belief ahead of a daunting European test.

Chelsea beat this Barcelona team 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, so Newcastle will feel full of belief that they can go to the Camp Nou and cause an upset for Lamine Yamal and co, who broke Toon hearts with a last-gasp penalty last week.

Barcelona, nonetheless, will certainly provide a sterner examination than what Rosenior’s weak-looking side did on Saturday.

But Newcastle will travel there with momentum, unity, and a manager who once again looks full of belief in his side, and vice-versa.

For Howe, his Champions League test looks like an opportunity to really establish some momentum in an important season run-in for the Toon.

For Rosenior, it feels as if there is not to be a PSG miracle, then not only is the honeymoon over, but Chelsea will be thinking about yet another divorce.