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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be possible,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk travels in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Things like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management 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. During that match a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. 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 produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 values insights gained 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 push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s determination stems from 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up 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 explains, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers present bleak 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 won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent injury-time equaliser with 10 men garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'