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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as manager 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 scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be possible,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, letting out a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse flows in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another delivery brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to accept 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. During that match the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, 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 arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation 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 capable enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'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 probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers make sobering 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 secured three points 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 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 build a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this collectively.'