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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his new life as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of preventing a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's illogical, right?' he comments, letting out a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging 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 pressing need to find a local barber.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another package brings a stash of old collector's items, 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 really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets came out, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move 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 the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you picture an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor training in Austria for the first week. He remained on the sidelines 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ 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 focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation comes from his early years 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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots 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 explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers present sobering 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 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 crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! 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 striving towards this together.'