ISAIAH Jones has pleaded for patience from Middlesbrough fans and says there's a burning desire in the dressing room to recover from their nightmare start to the season.

Jones says the new-look Boro squad is still getting to know each other on the pitch after a summer overhaul which saw several of Michael Carrick's stars from last season depart and replaced by young players who are largely inexperienced at Championship level.

The transition for the new recruits has been difficult so far and winless Boro prop up the table with just two points from their first seven games ahead of Saturday's visit of Southampton, who have lost three on the bounce.

And while Jones understands the frustration in the stands on the back of the disappointing start, he's urging supporters to keep the faith.

"All I can say is stick with us," said the winger

"We're a young squad, a young team and we're still learning each other's game. Hopefully Saturday we go to the Riverside and get three points and make the fans happy again. Then hopefully we can build on it and climb high up the table.

"We've signed a lot of new players, young hungry players. Of course we lost key players, the likes of Chuba, Gilo, Ramsey and Cameron Archer but we've brought in very good players.

"It's a process and we're still learning each other's game game by game, but once that clicks hopefully we'll be climbing high and make the fans happy again."

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Despite the struggles so far this season, Jones says the ambition in the Boro dressing room is the same as it was at the start of the season - to go up. And he says the players are still fuelled by the hurt of last season's near-miss.

He said: "We want promotion. We were so close last year. When Burnley came to the Riverside and beat us and when Coventry came and beat us, we want to use that as fuel to help us push for the play-offs and hopefully get to the Premier League.

"It hasn't been talked about but as players we want to get promoted. We were so close last season, we only just missed out. Hopefully we can build gradually this season and accelerate in the second half of the season. As I said, it's still early days, six games in, hopefully after the next 40 games we'll be in the play-offs."

Jones staked his claim for a start against Southampton after impressing from the bench at Sheffield Wednesday, inspiring a second half improvement as Carrick's side salvaged a draw.

He said: "I was put on to be creative and hopefully I did that and will get the heads up on Saturday.

"We have a big squad, we have a lot of attacking players and everyone can do something different, so if I am on the bench again Saturday hopefully I can come on and bring the same performance I did at Sheffield Wednesday in the second half."