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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end 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 showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in different directions, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 experiences 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 test them psychologically?’’ 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 analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination comes from his childhood in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You cannot do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, 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 opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers make sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, 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 middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, brilliant! 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 working on this collectively.'