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'I reckon that the chances of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his new life as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, erupting in a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion travels in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He looks at some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a collection 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 genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip 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 David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong 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.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine 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 monitor 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify 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 more out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation stems from 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 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't do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he explains, 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 long-ball, 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 make 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 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 garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this together.'