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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, letting out a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Discourse travels in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. 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 see Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve watched you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs values experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more 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 decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Character

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 skilled enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present bleak 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 secured three points 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 garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad 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 at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two megs 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 a collective, we’re working on this collectively.'