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'I reckon that the odds of us turning the season around are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of preventing a descent into non-league football. It is 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 assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he states.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion flows in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He sorts through some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another delivery brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior 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 David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards came out, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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 fitting.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to monitor training in Austria for the first week. He remained on the sidelines at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy 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 eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s motivation 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 good 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 cannot do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran 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 highs,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, 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 general numbers make bleak reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are winless 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 garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, get in! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this collectively.'