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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of preventing a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, erupting in laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled 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 fitting.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to monitor training in Austria for the first week. He remained on the sidelines at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in his childhood in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be good enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You cannot do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers present sobering reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are yet to win in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not secured three points at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

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