Elena Sadiku has told Rangers head coach Jo Potter to keep talking, but it won’t have any effect on Celtic.
Rangers women’s boss was unhappy with her Celtic counterparts during the Scottish Cup semi-final encounter between the teams last Saturday afternoon at Hampden.
The game finished 2-0 to the Ibrox club, however, one of the major talking points from the occasion at the national stadium was the length of time taken by Celtic’s starting XI over their traditional pre-match huddle.
The referee's whistle was ignored, as Potter fumed over a delay to the start of the match. She said post-match: "It doesn't surprise me... when you've got to use tactics like that it says more about your mindset."
Now, given the chance to respond to those claims, Sadiku is adamant the huddle did not take any longer than usual, and criticism of it won’t be on the minds of Celtic when they take on Rangers in a crucial top-of-the-table SWPL clash at Broadwood on Monday afternoon.
"I think what Jo Potter says needs to stand for herself,” insisted the 30-year-old. “We always do the same thing before games.
“I think she just wants to have something to say and be tough about it. I don't care what she's saying. If she says that's our mindset then she can just think that because I couldn't care less.
“It is something that she wants to say to feel like she's better or whatever. I don't care. We always do the same thing. I don't know where she got that from but is it is something that she wants to focus on let her focus on it. I don't care - couldn't care less.
"If you look at the previous games - look at the huddle and the time it takes. I have no idea. If it makes her happy to say that, then let her say it.”
READ MORE: Celtic are acting like champions - and Rangers are 'wilting'
Another comment that Potter made with a bullish tone was that she was confident about the prospect of extra time at Hampden, as her players looked ‘fitter’.
Sadiku continued the message that Potter can say what she wants, but she’s paying no notice of it.
Irked, she added: "Let her keep talking. I have heard it. Let her talk. I am not going to say something about another team because it is not my business and that is just how I am.
“If she wants to give comments about other teams or say something like that, let her say it. You know, I can say we didn't look like we have been looking lately [on Saturday] but if you look at the game we won last month I could also say we looked much fitter. I didn't.
“I wanted to praise our performance and that is what is the most important thing for me.”
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