12 Newcastle Successes (And 12 Failures) Scouted By Graham Carr

4. Emmanuel Riviere

Signed: 2014 (from Monaco) Transfer Fee: £6 million Position: Forward Newcastle United Appearances: 28 (2014-) Newcastle United Goals: 3 Current Club: Newcastle United

This feels slightly harsh on Riviere himself as, apart from in front of goal, he has shown a good ability to hold up the ball, link up well and attack with pace - but when someone is signed for £6 million they must return more than just a solitary Premier League strike from 23 appearances. He is not an out-and-out striker, instead preferring to operate wide on the left of a front three, and that is part of the reason why he has struggled, but he has also been profligate when presented with some golden opportunities towards the latter stages of this campaign. There is definitely talent there, but the 25-year-old must add goals to his game. If he had found the back of the net a few times during Papiss Cisse's absence in 2014-15 then Newcastle wouldn't have been right down the bottom of the league. Riviere will remain on Tyneside next season but unless he finds a goal-scoring touch soon then it appears unlikely that Newcastle would be able to recoup even half the £6 million they paid for him if they are able to sell him on in the future. Carr's fondness for recruiting talent from France first and foremost appears flawed when the Riviere signing is scrutinised, and rightly the chief scout is supposedly casting his net further afield from now on. Signing Rating: 2.5