Steve Bruce has revealed that he was sat on the toilet when he realised just how bog standard his Newcastle team is compared to that of yesteryear.

The Magpies, with just six goals this season, have equalled the lowest 10-game tally in the club's history and their £77million strikeforce of Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin have scored one between them.

And Bruce said: 'I was sitting on the loo last week, turning over the newspaper, when I saw Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand and thought, "Wow! Wow!".

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce will keep faith with his front three at West Ham on Saturday

'We had the best centre forward in England, probably the best centre forward that's been English for a long, long time, and both your strikers play for England.

'But that's gone, in the past. We have to accept where we are today. The club been relegated twice in 10 years and it's been in the bottom half of the division.

'We have to accept we are like 10, 11 teams in the bottom half of the Premier League. That's what we are.'

Bruce, though, will keep faith with his front three at West Ham on Saturday, in part because he has very few options to change things.

'No, I won't give up on them,' he said. 'We've got to keep working on them. They will get better.

Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin have scored one goal between them

'They're a certain age, just 22, 23, and new to the Premier League. It's always very difficult for them to adapt straight away. Some take a real long time. The boy Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, for example. They kept hold of him for three months to adapt. There's not many who hit the Premier League running.

'The big thing, of course, is confidence. I can put training drills on here.. They smash it left, right and centre. Two or three of the goals they scored yesterday you had to applaud.

'However, you have to take that onto the big stage, when the real ball comes out.'

Bruce, meanwhile, has been boosted by the inclusion of Andy Carroll in the squad for Saturday afternoon's game at the Olympic Stadium. The striker returned to training this week after a nine-day groin layoff.

But, as ever with Carroll, there is caution.

'We hope he can string a few weeks together on the training ground,' said Bruce. 'I'm sure we'll keep asking the question because it's Andy, but we hope he's going to be OK.'