7 Premier League Teams That Never Reached Their Full Potential

Newcastle United encapsulated the mid-'90s better than any other club in English football. Much like Britpop and Lad Culture, their flame burned extremely brightly for a short period, before suddenly fading away into obscurity.

With Kevin Keegan at the helm, this team was brash, wayward, exciting and unpredictable. With a cast that included Alan Shearer and Tino Asprilla, you would also not expect anything less. For two seasons, they mounted an admirable title challenge, only to throw it away at various points of the season when pressure mounted. In the 1995/96 season, they led from August to March, building up a 12 point advantage over Manchester United.

They proceeded to drop points to West Ham and Manchester City, while losing to Arsenal, Liverpool and Blackburn in the following months. They also lost a title-deciding match to United in March. A combination of Alex Ferguson's legendary mind games, failing player confidence and a fatalistic commitment to all-out attacking football played varying roles in the collapse.

The next season proved to be eventful, with Kenny Dalglish taking over from Keegan in January and Alan Shearer joining the team. Unlike the previous season, Newcastle never found themselves close enough to pose a realistic title threat. They played well and even managed to beat Manchester United 5-0 in October, but a terrible run followed with The Magpies unable to win a game from 16 November to 28 December. Newcastle never fully recovered after this slump in form, yet managed to pull themselves together and finish the season in 2nd place.

Inconsistent, unpredictable and sometimes the most entertaining team in England. History remembers the winners, but fans will always remember Keegan's Newcastle.