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'I reckon that the chances of us turning the season around are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him much more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk travels in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another package brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets came out, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. '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 pleasant.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it 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 insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘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 philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in his childhood 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, 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 prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present bleak reading. Newport have secured 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 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 earned a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired 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 in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs 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 all in this together, we’re working on this collectively.'