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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his recent venture as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he states, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in different directions, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets came out, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences 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 brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs values experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get extra 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 analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons 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 get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers make bleak reading. Newport have won 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 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 dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'