Why don't they do something sensible, like put it on the main menu page?
Darn's UI mod does that, very convenient.
Its steam so your forced to use the current patch, even if it makes the game more unplayable.
It's possible to turn auto updates off but they're on by default. It's a bit awkward yeah, especially if patches are making things worse and you're better off with an older version, which is something Steam doesn't keep in mind.