DEFENDER James Bree admitted he has not done his Saints chances any favours with “the performance and result” of this week’s humiliating EFL Cup elimination.

The former Luton Town man completed 90 minutes of Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at League Two Gillingham, which saw last year’s semi-finalists dumped out of the competition in the first round.

Bree, 25, had been tipped for a breakout season at Saints with 187 Championship appearances already under his belt before the January move under Nathan Jones.

After his old Hatters boss was sacked at St Mary’s, Bree made just two Premier League starts for Ruben Selles – and has now failed to impress in his first chance under Russell Martin.

Speaking to the Daily Echo after the match, Bree said: “It was completely different to the 90 minutes that the lads played the other day (in an opening-day win at Sheffield Wednesday).

"That was such good football and obviously a result, whereas we didn’t implement the system from the start.

“For me personally, it was my first 90 minutes of the season and I didn’t quite feel there and I know there’s a few other lads in the same position.

“It’s early days and we’re just getting back into it but it’s not good enough from anyone really. I’ve got to do my best, a performance and a result like that didn’t really help my cause.

“Especially given how well we played last week and there are other lads in my position. All I can do is keep going and doing my best, and we will have to see what happens.”

However, asked if he agrees with Martin’s assertion that some players may not have been in the right head space for selection due to personal circumstances, Bree responded: “I don’t know.

“All the lads have come in and given it 100 per cent in training – there’s no bad eggs here, everyone has got their own things going on.

“It is hard to play if you’re not fully there but it’s no excuse, it’s a game of football and we’re a Premier League team in the Championship, against League Two opposition – it should never happen.”

It looked as though Bree was still getting to grips with the new instructions for inverted full-backs, while Ryan Manning has played under Martin for two seasons already and both Kyle Walker-Peters and Newcastle United recruit Tino Livramento made a more seamless transition.

“It’s very different to anything that I have played before and I think it’s very different to full-backs in most teams really, apart from the likes of Man City and Arsenal,” Bree explained.

“When it comes off, it’s a great way to play – it’s attractive and it’s exciting, so when it comes off it looks lovely but there is a flip side.

“If you don’t get it right, where everyone is not moving in the same way and connected, it’s really tough. We’ve got plenty of time to learn over the season.”

Despite playing only just over half the season at Luton last term, Bree still led the eventually promoted outfit for expected assists (7.6) by the end of the campaign.

He either hugged the touchline in an aggressive wing-back role or filled in at centre-back for Luton, coming second for crosses into the area in the squad – Bree’s role under Martin will be different.

Bree insists he is enjoying the work though, adding: “Why wouldn’t you? There are different ways of playing, I’ve been in teams that haven’t had much ball and there are different ways to win games.

“If you can win games of football with 80 per cent possession then that is the way to do it, and training has been unbelievable – so much ball work, more than I’ve done for a long time.”

Saints kept 80 per cent of the ball in the 2-1 win at Hillsborough last Friday, making a Championship record 477 passes in the first half and completing 931 by full-time.

There is an unspoken acceptance that Bree will likely be watching his teammates from the bench as they take on Norwich City at St Mary’s on Saturday – Kyle Walker-Peters will start.

Previewing the game, he said: “Norwich have been a good team in the Championship for a few years now since coming down from the Premier League.

“But, you saw the performance of the boys the other night. If they can come and show that again I don’t see why they can’t get another three points.”