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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration 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 barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another package brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this genuinely makes me very content,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error was discovered. {'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 funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, 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 test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s motivation originates in 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't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Analytical 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, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers paint grim 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 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 secured a valuable 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 impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – 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 working on this as one.'