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'I would say that the chances of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of preventing a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he says, erupting in laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in different directions, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter 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 additional out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive stems from his early years 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 skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to show 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 making it happen.'

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 fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he points out, 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 states. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make sobering 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 won a game 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this collectively.'