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'I estimate that the chances of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting 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 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in multiple pathways, from playing for 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. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of glossy photos 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 led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very content,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong 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 fitting.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was 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 observational approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive comes from his childhood 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up 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 had been in charge of 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 many, many season peaks,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'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 probability to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers present 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 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 dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two megs already, yes! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this collectively.'