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'I reckon that the likelihood of us turning the season around are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of averting a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, breaking into laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion flows in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another package brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets were released, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s drive stems from his upbringing 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very headstrong. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he says, highlighting 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 insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage 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 winless 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 precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part 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 pannas already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this together.'