News round-up: Middlesbrough's €8.9 million signing Mido yesterday suggested Tottenham's first XI is not necessarily a meritocracy and claimed internal politics are threatening to undermine footballing talent at White Hart Lane.

"Tottenham is a club with a lot of politics around the team. It's not healthy to have that amount of politics," said the striker who is likely to make his debut at Fulham today. "One of the big reasons why I've come here is because I think it will be about football rather than politics."

Somewhat ironically, Gareth Southgate felt it politic to omit Yakubu Ayegbeni from the squad which travelled to London after the unsettled striker's hugely disappointing performance during Wednesday's defeat at Wigan. Everton are keen to sign Yakubu but Middlesbrough's manager stressed, rather pointedly: "No one will be allowed to leave unless the deal is right for us."

Mido was similarly keen to leave Tottenham but was yesterday anxious to quash suggestions that he had fallen out with Martin Jol, who, at times, questioned the Egyptian's fitness levels.

"I've never had a problem with Martin Jol," he said, giving the impression that those perceived political problems possibly stemmed from the boardroom. "I believe he's a good manager and I think he's done really well in the last two years. But I wanted to be playing, I wanted a big role in the team."

Middlesbrough have lost their opening two games but Mido remains undaunted. "I'm very confident Boro can get into Europe," he said. "I think we can finish in the top six, I don't see Middlesbrough as being at a lower level than Tottenham. When I signed for Tottenham they were a mid-table club but, by the end of my first full season, we finished fifth."

The potential for European football persuaded Mido to sign for Southgate rather than Roy Keane. "It was a tough decision," he admitted. "I really think Roy Keane and Sunderland will do well. I was impressed - when you meet him you see someone totally different to the player he was."

Mido has long had a reputation for having a suspect temperament but it is an image he rejects. "I've made wrong decisions, I've done mistakes, but the way I react to things now is totally different," he claimed. Southgate added: "Mido is prepared to speak his mind. The best players are those who have an opinion."

Gordon Strachan has continued his crusade against phone-in shows by reiterating he takes nothing said on such a platform seriously. The Celtic manager has dismissed suggestions his team's supporters are unhappy with the product on offer at Parkhead, while stressing that radio talk-back is not representative of the majority of fans' feelings.

Strachan was widely criticised after Celtic stumbled to a scoreless draw against Kilmarnock to open their league season, but the champions have rediscovered their form in the past fortnight.

"I heard Martin O'Neill talking about it. He has joined my club about the phone-ins, people phoning in after one game of the season," said Strachan. "You guys (the media) come and tell me about what the fans are saying.

"But what fans? Two on a phone-in out of a supporter base of six million? They might not even be our fans; they might be drunk and just shouting down the phone. I see Martin Jol and Alan Curbishley have mentioned it as well. It is madness, but it doesn't surprise me."

It is timely, then, that Celtic play Aberdeen tomorrow; the Pittodrie manager, Jimmy Calderwood, has come in for similar abuse during the opening two games of the Scottish season. Strachan's first-choice goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, trained yesterday after suffering a shoulder injury and has an outside chance of featuring in the game.

Strachan saw more reason for optimism after the 1-1 draw with Spartak Moscow in the Champions League qualifier on Wednesday.

"The team that finished the match had an average age of 24," he said. "I don't think you would see that anywhere else in the qualifying matches."

• Guardian Service