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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be possible,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, erupting in laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this makes me very happy,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' 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 studied 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 pondered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ 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 eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his early years 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 skilled enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers present grim reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes 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 heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two pannas already, yes! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this as one.'