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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 favour.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be possible,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, erupting in laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He opens some post on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another package brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very content,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. '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.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 change anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained 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 test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy 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 focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s drive comes from his upbringing 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 skilled enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired 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, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'