After making the finals due to a fourth placed finish in 2014/15, Wellington finished a disappointing ninth in the A-League last season.   

Phoenix surprised many by producing a transfer coup when they picked up New Zealand international Barbarouses and Brazilian midfield maestro Finkler in the off-season.

The arrival of the Melbourne Victory duo to the New Zealand side has Krishna believing that Wellington have the top side in the league.

“I think we have the best team,” he told FourFourTwo. “If you look at the competition I think we’ve got the best team on the field we just need the performance.

“Especially for me as a striker I need to be at the right place at the right time and with the quality of the midfield like Gui Finkler, Michael McGlinchey and Roly Bonevacia we will be hard team to defend against.

"Finkler is just outstanding, you just need to make a good run and he will supply you the ball.

“We look the best and this season will be an exciting one. I won’t say that we are going to win the league that would be the last thing I want to say, but each game is going to be an exciting game.”

Krishna’s self-belief in the Phoenix this season doesn’t end there. After scoring Fiji’s first ever goal at an Olympic games during Rio 2016, the 29-year-old wants to win the A-League golden boot.

“I want to be the top goal scorer,” he said.

“It was disappointing last season. I had a great start in 13 games I scored six goals and then I got injured.

"That is part of life, as an athlete getting an injury is your worst nightmare.

"But this season I’m feeling sharp and my body is feeling good and coming back from Rio I’ve learnt a lot from that experience by playing against some of the great players and it will give me more motivation to go out there and perform each week.”

Ahead of their opening round clash against Melbourne City at home, Krishna said that even with a number of players out, the team has no reason not to achieve a result.

“The boys are excited even though a lot of the boys are missing due to the international window,” he said.

“But that is part of life we just have to do our job on the field and whatever team we put on the pitch we still have to perform.

“There is no excuse we just have to do our and we are very excited.”