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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he states, erupting in laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse runs in various tangents, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this really makes me very content,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to take on 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. That day a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 change anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘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 thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his early years 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Detailed 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'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 chance to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers present bleak 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 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 fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, get in! 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 tackling this together.'