"Derby games are always tight affairs; at 1-0 up against Millwall we had a few chances and if we could have put one away it would have been 2-0," he says.
"In the end they had a better second half and were probably a bit unlucky not to win it in the end.
"And, yes, I am quite aware of the rivalry between the two sides!"
Being a Liverpool player, Neil knows a thing or two about derbies, and adds:
"Liverpudlians people are as mad as any about rivalry, really - you want to beat Everton, it is as simple as that, and West Ham v Millwall is the same, I suppose.
"Obviously there are other big derbies like the Manchester and Glasgow ones; you just want to beat your local rivals and then the fans are happy."
Even if West Ham isn't a team stuffed full of eastenders these days, Neil feels that the indigenous base of the side is a bonus and explains:
"The nice thing about West Ham is there are lots of Englishmen in the side.
"That was part of the reason that attracted me to the club, that there is a good bunch of lads here and plenty of good young players coming through which mad me quite eager to come here.
"It is obviously nice for the fans to see home grown talent in the side as well as established internationals; it is just, in general, the occasional unheard of one that you have to question."
Indeed, the only non-British signing so far this season has been the loan deal to bring Niclas Alexandersson - the Hammers' first ever Swede - on a month long loan.
It has introduced the concept of an Everton player and a Liverpool player being team mates, and, despite the rivalry between the two clubs, Neil is full of praise for the midfielder from the other side of Stanley Park.
"I was quite surprised no Premiership side snapped him up; he scored that great goal against England for Sweden in the world cup and he is not a bad player - I am pleased that we have got him," he says.
A reminder to all Hammers supporters that FREE live match commentary is only available in the new look HAMMERS VISION - starting with this evening's clash against Crystal Palace.
Register your details now to access this great new service - ENTER NOW