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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, letting out laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets came out, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' 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 holds dear lessons learned 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 psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable enough,' he discloses. {'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 can't do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very determined. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers make sobering 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 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this together.'