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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as manager 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 miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he states.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, erupting in laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse travels in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another package brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to 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 were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ 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 driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in his childhood in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable enough,' he reveals. {'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 cannot 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 pretty headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he points out, emphasizing 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 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make grim 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 tasted victory 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 earned a valuable 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 create a fortress.'

Still a Player 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 heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two megs already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this together.'