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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he states.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, erupting in a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse runs in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe competed with 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 remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'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 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 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 additional out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons 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 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 cannot 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 make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers make 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 tasted victory 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 secured a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad 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 remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'