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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Discourse travels in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another delivery brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences 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 what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to modify 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 additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach 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 Determined Nature

Fuchs’s determination originates in 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'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 cannot do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty determined. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Analytical 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage 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 winless in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not tasted victory 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 precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'