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'I would say that the odds of us turning the season around are less than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is discussing his new life as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he remarks.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, breaking into a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse runs in multiple pathways, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error emerged. {'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 hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from Ranieri, 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 appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off 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 so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 good enough,' he reveals. {'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 can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating 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 long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers make grim reading. Newport have secured 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two pannas already, yes! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this as one.'