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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of preventing a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, letting out a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Things like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets dropped, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ 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 similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s determination originates in his childhood 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 reveals. {'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 cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty determined. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers make sobering reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are without a victory 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired 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 inside,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this collectively.'