Video: Tony Pulis on a wide loss for Albion

The Baggies failed to register a shot on target at St Mary's, and were undone by two James Ward-Prowse goals in the first-half, before Dusan Tadic wrapped things up with 18 minutes to go.

Pulis said: "Southampton were the better team. We looked flat. We had no sparkle at all with us.

"It will be interesting to see how many teams have played their second game away from home this weekend and how many teams have actually won or even picked up points.

"The lads looked tired and we've done really well away from home this season. I'm not taking anything away from Southampton, they were the better team right the way through the game.

"We needed a sparkle or something to drop for us."

There were no away wins in today's six Premier League matches that kicked off at 3pm and Pulis thought the fixture list was tough on players.

He said: "It's difficult. It's the way it's dropped and you have to do your best. I don't think it's just West Brom, but you play a full Christmas and then you have to play two games away from home.

"I don't know why we couldn't have one away and one at home and work the fixtures that way especially after such a busy Christmas period."

A bad day was made worse by an injury to Albion captain Darren Fletcher, who was subbed off at half-time.

Pulis said: "The worrying thing is we lost Morrison at Chelsea and we've lost Fletcher today. That's two very important midfield players for us and two players who've been very good this year.

"We don't need that. We haven't got a big enough squad to cope with those sort of injuries. Morrison has ruptured, we think, his hamstring so he'll be out for six to eight weeks.

"Fletcher will have a scan tomorrow. He's opened his knee up. We'll wait and see how bad that is tomorrow."

Ward-Prowse gave Saints the lead in the fifth minute with a dipping free-kick, and then Craig Gardner thought he'd won a penalty under a challenge from the goalscorerer.

Pulis said: "The lads are convinced the challenge on Gardner was a penalty. Even that - if it was a penalty - hasn't gone for us today."

Not long afterwards Southampton were awarded a spot kick when Matt Targett and Craig Dawson came together in the box.

Pulis said: "I could spend all day talking about it. The lad run across Dawson and Dawson has run into him. I can see why the referee has given it. But they think Gardner's is very similar to it."