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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Discourse flows in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s drive 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 capable enough,' he shares. {'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 cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Detailed 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 showed his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'