Boro lost 1-0 to West Brom and 5-0 to Chelsea in their last two matches at the Riverside.
“It works both ways, really,” said Southgate. “We have a young team and we want them to go and express themselves at home, and we need a positive environment for them to be able to do that.
“The team are very conscious that they did not perform to the level they would have liked in the last home game, but they are young and they need that backing.
“If they become frightened of playing at home, then we will have a big problem.
“As a manager, I am telling them that I want them to play good football, that I want them to be patient in possession and that we want to play football that will excite the crowd.
“We weren’t able to do that against Chelsea, but it wasn’t through a lack of effort. On the day, we were outclassed.
“It’s important that the fans stick with us, stick with the team. We know their disappointment – nobody was more disappointed than the group of players and staff on the day.
“But we are where we are. We are a place higher than we were at the end of last season and we are four points off seventh with everything to play for.”
