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'I reckon that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of averting a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Discourse runs in various tangents, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned 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 push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach 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 motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his childhood 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 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 can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate 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 Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this collectively.'