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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, breaking into laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets came out, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled 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 pleasant.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision 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 the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy 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 focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s determination 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, 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 show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering reading. Newport have managed 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'