Avram Grant is backing his players to show the form of the previous month when they next return to action against Stoke City in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.
The Hammers have the chance to bounce back quickly after the disappointment of a second-half showing on Saturday that led to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of travelling Newcastle United. It had all started so brightly with Carlton Cole scoring on his first start for a month but after that the Magpies took control and won through Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll.
The manager was left to wonder what had happened, given the way his side appeared in total control in the opening stages with some free-flowing football. "We were more close to the second goal after we started the game so well but then they scored and we didn't react like we had in the other games when the other team had scored. Our game was not good in the second half.
"Sometimes you don't know the reason. We didn't push so much, we didn't press well. We give them too much space to pass the ball. Even if we played the second half with two strikers we gave a lot of balls away."
Responding to praise for the way the team played in the early stages that demonstrated why they had gone five games unbeaten, he added: "The first half was a good game. Even Newcastle told us they thought we would score two or three.
"We were close to this, we used three quick players [in Cole, Victor Obinna and Frederic Piquionne]. They pressed well, everything was good. After we scored we didn't continue to do what we did before, though."
He rightly gave equal praise back to Chris Hughton's side, who showed the form that has got them important wins against the likes of Aston Villa, Everton and Chelsea this season. "They played well. We gave them the space to play in the second half. They are good players and they passed the ball well.
"They didn't create so many chances but we knew the strength of their crossing because they play two physical strikers but we didn't deal with it like we should."
With Stoke and then Arsenal away next Saturday, the tests come thick and fast. The manager will hope for good news on Matthew Upson's hamstring and the knock picked up by Freddie Piquionne, while Kieron Dyer was kept out as a precaution as his return continues to be managed carefully.
"I remain positive. It is harder now but there is just under 30 games to go and we have games in the next two months that we can win. If we play like we did until now when we had five games unbeaten and all the draws we were more close to winning, we will be OK.
"The owners told me they are patient, they understand. We knew that this season would be tough, we don't want to be in this situation."