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'I estimate that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be possible,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, 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 an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes 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 challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s determination 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. 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 formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up 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 points out, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'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 percentage to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The broader 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 secured three points at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent last-gasp equaliser with 10 men earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two pannas already, yes! I want us to see 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.'