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'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. This represents 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 contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion travels in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another delivery brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in 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 hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it 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 lessons learned 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 challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 tasted victory 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 dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It 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, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this collectively.'