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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of preventing a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Our talk runs in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards came out, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 nice.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined 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 older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'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 alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained 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 significant 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 motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his early years 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 skilled enough,' he shares. {'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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers make sobering reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are winless 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men garnered a valuable 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 construct a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, get in! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'