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'The probability of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him 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 remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's illogical, right?' he comments, breaking into a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another package brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs values experiences 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 mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology 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 motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation 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 capable 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 can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty determined. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of 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 many, many season bests,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 secured three points 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 dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this collectively.'