"We've got to stand up, accept responsibility, get on with it - and deal with it," he says defiantly.
"I think when you are down there you don't get the luck but we have to say we are making mistakes for the goals and getting punished for them.
"Whereas occasionally you get a let off when you make a mistake we are getting punished every time - and we have got to start turning it round pretty quickly.
"The Premiership is as competitive as it has been for a long time and you have to expect to be punished; if we keep making individual mistakes it will happen, and badly.
"We've had a look at the goals we let in on Sunday and they could definitely have been stopped; we are not a bad team but you just can't expect to make the errors we are making at the moment and expect to win games.
"To score two goals away from home as we did on Sunday and not get anything is disappointing.
"The character and effort of the lads can't be faulted and I think some of the games, such as West Brom, we would easily have won last season.
"We should have beaten Arsenal as well, and you couldn't fault the effort in that one - but sometimes effort is not enough."
Keeping an attack minded Manchester City from scoring on Saturday will be some task., and Steve adds:
"We need to keep a clean sheet and take it from there; that is a great starting point and obviously we haven't done that this season.
"The one thing is they are an attacking team, and the one thing is we will be tested so we will have to be on our mettle."
Manchester City is, of course, Steve's only former club but he will have no sentiment on Saturday.
"I left Man City a long time ago and I am just thinking about us; we need points and that is first and foremost in my mind."
Marc-Vivien Foe, Eyal Berkovic, Kevin Horlock, and coach Stuart Pearce, ex-Hammers all, return to Upton Park - while Paulo Wanchope is ruled out with a knee injury - and Steve says:
"There are a lot of ex-players and that will add a little bit to their game."
Steve played his first full game at White Hart Lane on Sunday and adds:
"It is going to take me a few games but I want to play; there is no way you can hide the fact that it is a disappointing start to the season."
He is philosophical about the fact that the flak is flying, however, and adds:
"That is the nature of the beast and you have got to be big enough to accept that when you are down you are going to take the knocks just as you accept praise in the same manner.
"But we have to get on with it and start turning it around."