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'I reckon that the chances of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another delivery brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined 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 older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences 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 big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in his childhood 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't 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 stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 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 distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers make grim 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 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 precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'