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'I reckon that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his new life as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of preventing a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, letting out a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion runs in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets dropped, an curious error emerged. {'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 nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. 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 look at Claudio you picture an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major 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 driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s determination stems from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable enough,' he shares. {'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 cannot do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle 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, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he explains, 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 states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak reading. Newport have secured 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 won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent last-gasp equaliser with 10 men garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this together.'