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'I would say that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of averting a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse travels in various tangents, 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. There is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another package brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself 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 a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'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 alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences 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 push 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 eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive comes from his childhood in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities 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 defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, 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 work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy 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 distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have secured 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 tasted victory 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – 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.'