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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as head coach of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he notes.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, letting out a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse flows in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior 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 game of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong 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 nice.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned 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 similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s determination stems from his upbringing 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs 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 show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty determined. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'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 percentage to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers present 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 secured three points at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent last-gasp equaliser with 10 men earned a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two megs already, yes! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this collectively.'