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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he notes.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in different directions, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 insights gained 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 psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major 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 motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint grim 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 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see 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 collectively.'