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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, breaking into a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

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 the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt 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.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you imagine 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 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s determination comes from his early years 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 good enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that overcome 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 prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite determined. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle 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 showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he explains, noting 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 states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers present bleak reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are without a victory 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – 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.'