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'I reckon that the odds of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, breaking into a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive stems from 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, 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 give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking 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, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have won 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 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 garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired 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 in here,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two megs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this as one.'