In the fallout of last week’s loss to Manchester United, fans were left with several issues to chew the fat over. Luckily for Emmanuel Riviѐre, the high of Gutierrez’s return and the lows of Krul’s last minute mistake and Cissé’s spat with Johnny Evans meant his performance flew under the radar. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he instilled little hope for those watching that he can fill in for the suspended Cissé.
John Carver has ten games, seven of those without his top scorer, to find some change out of the former Monaco man, in a season which he’s failed to make any notable impact. In sixteen league appearances, Riviѐre has failed to find the back of the net and registered just one assist. Not exactly form to write home about.
After creating a handful of promising chances for himself last week, he failed to prove his worth in front of goal. Although they weren’t exactly one-on-one chances, Riviѐre displayed a lack of confidence and finishing instinct when met by David de Gea twice in the box. A disappointing mishit six yards out and an unconvincing flail unmarked at the back post were two golden chances for Riviѐre to break his Premier League duck.
With every passing game without a goal, his presence on the pitch proves as prolific as Luuk de Jong. Having made four more appearances than the Dutchman, it feels that the monkey on his back shows no sign of letting go. It may only take one goal for Riviѐre to get off the ground, however the final few months of the season include clashes with Arsenal, Sunderland, Tottenham and Swansea. Not exactly the whipping boys of the league, especially with our record.
Inevitably, the cliché of settling into the English game in his first season will be used in the defence of the Frenchman. As Newcastle fans know all too well, the transition from Ligue 1 to the Premier League isn’t exactly been the smoothest. You only have to look at Riviѐre’s former Monaco colleague Radamel Falcao to see that even the best can struggle in England.
Inconsistency on the field and in the dugout also hasn’t helped Riviѐre. However, with Cissé out of the picture and Everton off the back of a tough European midweek clash, while they’ve failed to correct their defensive lapses, could prove to be the perfect opportunity for the 25-year-old to restore some faith upfront. In seven games without Newcastle’s main source of goals, Newcastle’s progression looks like it could firmly lie on the shoulders of Emmanuel Riviѐre.
