Boss Jim Magilton felt Town were ring rusty after the two-week break and admitted West Brom were "a level above" his side as the Baggies defeated the Blues 5-1 at Portman Road.
Magilton said: "We haven't played for two weeks and looked ring rusty. That was disappointing. When we fell behind we did not seem to have the spirit to come back.
"We huffed and puffed but were beaten by a very good side and I think our crowd would have appreciated that.
"Some of the goals we conceded were avoidable and my one complaint is that we just didn't sense danger at all. We defended too deep when Phillips headed the second goal, but it was a great delivery. They put away the chances we gave them and now we must lick our wounds and put it behind us.
"I have absolute belief in my players but the team with the greater desire normally wins games. They had more desire than us. Albion are a level above us and it was an eye-opener."
West Brom caretaker-manager Nigel Pearson could find himself out of a job this week depending on Tony Mowbray's plans for his coaching staff but was philosophical: "It's an irony of football. This has been coming because we know we have good players. Although I am delighted with the result, in a way it's a shame it came now.
"Once you get a label for being unable to win away it can cause a barrier. Ultimately it was probably the reason for the change of leadership, but that's football. There is no point in talking of the rights and wrongs of it and the whys and wherefores.
"This was undoubtedly the most clinical performance we have given all season. Football always has been and always will be about players. If they perform to their maximum we have the best squad in this particular league.
"Two strikers hit a rich vein of form. Kevin Phillips is a fantastic professional who has been exceptional in training, so it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
"It will be important to keep the sense of momentum going. Our points-for-games ratio has not been what we would have liked, but we have enough quality to achieve our goal of promotion back to the Premiership, either automatically or through the play-offs."