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'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of staving off a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he notes.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk flows in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter 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 stash of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to accept 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 shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets came out, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved 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 light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach 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 Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation comes 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 shares. {'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 not 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 quite determined. 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 previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he explains, highlighting 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 declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are without a victory 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 garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

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 thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! 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 collectively.'