"We didn't start the game very well and overall it looked like a very tired team performance," he admits, "but I think what we have to take into perspective is the month we have had against some of the top teams, and if you look at it as a whole we have done very well, so we need now to get back on a winning run as soon as possible.
"We have got a small squad and that means most of the players are playing all the time. We are not like Manchester United, Arsenal, or Chelsea, we can't change it around too much as we have got probably 16 or 17 players, whereas they have got 24 or 25.
"It does make a big difference, and you also have to take into account the effort the players put in against Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal to secure those results, allied with a good result against Derby, and a draw at Leicester.
"We came across a good team on the day and they just overpowered us."
Nigel has a specialised training regime as it sometimes takes him longer than the other players to recover from games, and he says: "My age comes into it quite a lot. I was exhausted after the game but hopefully I will be recovered for Sunday and ready to start again."
Nigel may soon get an enforced 'rest' as he is just one booking away from a one match ban, and he says: "Suspensions are part of the game, as long as players are not getting booked too regularly for dissent - if it is for commitment and tackles then I don't think you can really worry about that too much."
Nigel does feel that the signs are encouraging despite the setback against Leeds, and he adds: "We have picked up really well in the league and moved to mid-table from 15th or 16th at the start of December, and we hope to improve on that over the next month or so.
"I think Glenn has spent about £10m this year which is not a lot when you consider what is being spent in the Premiership, and we are sitting halfway in the league.
"After a shaky start I would like to think that we have played some of the best football I have seen since I have been here.
"You can look at a lot of performances, Liverpool first half, Arsenal first half, Manchester United for the whole game, the way we played against Aston Villa in the second half...we want to continue that form at home and pick up some more points on our travels."
Nigel is looking forward to the trip to Macclesfield in the FA Cup on Sunday, himself no stranger to the kind of shock with which West Ham have been unfortunately associated over the years.
"When I was at Arsenal we lost against Wrexham once," he recalls, "and I know what the dressing room was like then, so I can imagine what it was like at West Ham when they have had a couple of shock results.
"We aim to make sure that is not going to happen this season, and we want to get through into the next round.
"It is important to get a run going in the FA Cup as it keeps the season going.
"We have got a difficult game at Macclesfield but it is one we should approach with confidence and think we can win."