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'I would say that the odds of us turning the season around are less than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his recent venture as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk runs in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, 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 happy,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until returning 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 suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 nice.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, 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 remained on the sidelines 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big 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 keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome 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 show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers make sobering 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 tasted victory 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 emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this as one.'