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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of preventing a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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 pleasant.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed 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 light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

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

Roots and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s determination comes from his upbringing 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, 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 demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this together.'