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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a champion's gong. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion travels in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with 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 celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline 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 competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled 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.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be 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 observational approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change 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 more out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome 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 prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint grim reading. Newport have managed 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 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 secured a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this together.'