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'I would say that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are less than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, breaking into laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk travels in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another envelope brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this 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 last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong 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 pleasant.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes 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 test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s determination comes from his upbringing 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 shares. {'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 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 make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering reading. Newport have won 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

In the Thick of It 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 member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, yes! 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 tackling this collectively.'