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'I reckon that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of averting a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be possible,' he remarks.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, letting out a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk travels in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management 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 David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven 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 opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers make grim reading. Newport have managed 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force 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 enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two pannas already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this as one.'