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'I estimate that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as manager of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Our talk travels in different directions, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back 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 shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. 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 look at Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, 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 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned 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 major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s determination comes from his early years 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 skilled enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, 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 demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty determined. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers paint grim reading. Newport have won 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 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this as one.'