ASSISTANT COACH: Paul Ifill makes his debut for Hawke's Bay United in Napier on Sunday. PHOTO/SHELLEY BOWIE, SB PHOTOGRAPHY
WILL it be Auckland City's Micah Lea'alafa or someone offshore to do the job at the coal face in A-League football?
Either way, Paul Ifill says the Wellington Phoenix desperately need to go shopping for a goal scorer.
"Without Roy [Krishna] a lot of pressure will go on people who haven't been scoring goals and I worry about them," he says after the A-League side drew 0-0 against Brisbane Roar last Sunday in the capital.
"I don't know where the goals will come from but, I hope, they'll turn that corner because they need to get somebody in the [transfer] window as a striker."
Ifill, who made his debut as player/assistant coach of Hawke's Bay United on Sunday in Napier in the ASB Premiership, believes it isn't the time to reach for the panic button on the defence just yet because they will come right once injured players return.
Learning the coaching trade under Bay United coach Brett Angell is a no brainer for him.
"I've been speaking to Brett for a long time. I know him from back home [England]. I knew him as a player and out here as a coach and, I believe, for my development as a coach, it'll be good to come and work with someone like him."
With just a year of coaching experience with Wairarapa outfits, it is imperative he keeps building his reservoir of knowledge.
"To be able to learn from someone like Brett is invaluable to me at this time."
The propensity to practise what he preaches to impressionable players on the field also is an "added bonus".
"I think he's got a pretty good deal and I've got a pretty good deal so we're both happy."
The delay in Ifill signing earlier was pertaining to coaching the Heartland Wairarapa under-20 league team: "I was already committed to that ... but I told him I can't come until the second half of the season."
Staying away from the family for three to four days is an issue but not one he can't work around.
"We looked at the plusses and minsues and I said, 'Look, I want to go there and coach and learn to continue my career and an opportunity to play'."
At 36, Ifill is realistic about his player prowess leading into the next chapter in football and is already benefiting working with Angell.
"I think he's a good coach. I think it's nice to be able to learn but also putting on sessions as well as talk about the tactics going into the weekend.
"It's quite refreshing to do that as head coach [with Wairarapa United over winter] but now as an assistant I can see things a little differently."
He extols Angell's organisational skills and attention to detail.
"You don't go into the game with any questions because he's very thorough. You know exactly where you have to be at any given time as a player, which I think is very important."
That Angell attribute was evident in the 2-2 stalemate against Team Wellington last Sunday because, Ifill felt, structurally Bay United looked really good.
"That's probably his thing because he's very organised and he puts in a good session, which is good for me to watch and be a part of."
He has enjoyed the interaction with a "bunch of good lads here so far" who foster team spirit in achieving franchise goals.
In some respects Ifill believes it is an extension of what he was doing as Lotto Central League coach with Wairarapa United where they try to be structured.
"It's a little different with Wairarapa United where, I think, we have very, very good players, which makes my job much easier."
Conversely, Angell has mustered an almost new-look squad this summer from last season's one that created history by making the grand final of the premiership before losing 2-1 away to Auckland City.
"He's lost a hell of a lot of players and yet they are still punching well above their weight right now with completely different players so I think you have to give him a bit of credit for being able to build a team from scratch."
Embracing an attacking brand of football, Ifill suspects, sits quite well with Angell's philosophy.
So how does contemporary coaching fit in with all his past coaching experiences as an elite player?
"Like I said. I'm still learning but I've got ideas around it. The way I look at it is I take a little bit from each [coach] - good and bad," says Ifill.