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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he states, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some post on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he states.

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 previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong 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 The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice 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 joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained 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 challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 skilled 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 demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical 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, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have won 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two megs already, yes! I want us to regard 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.'