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'The probability of a late surge is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him much more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural 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 a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this really makes me very content,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Until his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets came out, 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 amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' 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 observed 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 thought: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push 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 analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots 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 good enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, 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 opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present 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 tasted victory 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 secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this as one.'