Phoenix must hold on to Krishna, says Ifill
Wellington Phoenix legend Paul Ifill is urging his former club to lock Roy Krishna down to a new contract amid speculation the star forward is being courted by Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids.
The Fijian international is one of 15 Phoenix players off contract at the end of the 2017-18 A-League season and Ifill said he was ‘‘100 per cent’’ the highest priority to resign.
‘‘If you look at it, would he start in any team in this league? Yes. The only one I can think of possibly is Sydney but I’d personally play him in front of Alex Brosque,’’ Ifill said.
‘‘I think for anyone else he’d start and you have to secure players like that.’’
Ifill said he would understand if the Phoenix were reluctant to offer Krishna ‘‘mega’’ money after they were burned by recent high-profile signings Kosta Barbarouses and Gui Finkler, who failed to live up to their hype and have since departed.
However, as a ‘‘proven scorer’’ in the A-League, Ifill was stunned the Phoenix have let Krishna’s contract run down this far. If they are unable to come to an agreement with Krishna, the 30-year-old could leave on a free at the end of the season.
‘‘I don’t know why it wasn’t done last year. It’s not that he wasn’t scoring goals because he scores goals every year and he’s electric.
‘‘He makes a difference and you can see it when it doesn’t play, it makes it harder for the other forwards because they’ve got more to do.
‘‘The minute he gets the ball it attracts two or three players which provides plenty more space – those are the sort of players you need in the team,’’ he said.
‘‘I think any team around that has seen him play will be thinking ‘if I can get him on a free it’s a nobrainer’ and the Phoenix have got to understand that is what happens when you let contracts run down.
‘‘There’s a helluva lot of players off contract and maybe the planning needs to be better.’’
Brought to the Phoenix as an injury replacement for Ifill four years ago, Krishna has gone on to score 32 goals, leaving him just one short of equalling Ifill’s record as Wellington’s all-time leading scorer. Ifill said he hoped Krishna signed a new deal and went on to better his mark.
‘‘I want him to stay and I want him to go on and smash the record, and I’ll be pretty disappointed if he comes back and scores two goals and leaves at the end of the season.’’
Although Krishna is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Ifill said the off-field matters could be disruptive for the player.
‘‘I’ve been there. During my first season I only had a one-year contract and I had an option on that contract and it was in my favour so I could have left at any point, and there were five or six clubs in the A-League that wanted me. But my thoughts at the time were that it wasn’t broken so don’t try and fix it. I was having a great time.
‘‘But everyone is different and he’s got a massive decision based on what is best for him and his family. I do understand that. But it’d be nice for him to show a bit of loyalty to the first team that gave him a professional contract, and if they can come to an agreement then great.’’
The other 14 off contract Phoenix players are Andrew Durante, Andrija Kaludjerovic, Alex Rufer, Marco Rossi, Logan Rogerson, Matthew Ridenton, Scott Galloway, Lewis Italiano, Goran Paracki, Daniel Mullen, Michael McGlinchey, James McGarry, Matija Ljujic and new signing Tando Velaphi.