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'I estimate that the chances of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his new life as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be possible,' he notes.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, breaking into laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another delivery brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Things like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He didn’t get involved at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve studied you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination stems from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are winless in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this as one.'