"This is when the real league actually kicks in now, when the pressure really starts to mount on the teams in the top two positions and in the play-offs," he says.
"This is when you see which teams can hold their own and any team that has a good run in the last quarter has a good chance of being promoted."
Nigel reckons the fans will be West Ham's secret weapon, and enthuses:
"It is a fantastic crowd; I am loving every minute of it, loving every second of it.
"They are the most passionate fans I have ever come across - and I am not just saying that because I am at West Ham at the moment.
"I have played a few games up and down the country against various teams but you can't beat West Ham fans.
"They don't slag you off unnecessarily; they just demand hard work and honesty and that is what the players have started to show.
"At the end of the day, if we work hard we stand a good chance of winning games."
Norwich have, of course, set the standard so far this season, and Nigel feels that the draw at Carrow Road recently confirms that West Ham can equal that standard.
"We can take heart from loads of games, especially the Norwich game where we were the better side and should have got the three points," he insists.
"We made a mistake which cost us the win, but we can take a lot from that because if they are top of the league there is no way why we should not be up amongst it with them.
"We are very confident, focused, and confident - we aim to win every single game possible."
Nigel was again a cup-tied spectator in the week, and he adds:
"I was very frustrated and disappointed by the result on Tuesday night but at the same time we can concentrate on getting promotion.
"I believe we were the better side and we should definitely have gone through to the next round but we got punished for not taking our chances; if we had it would have been a different game - but goals change games."