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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his new life as manager of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he states.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another envelope brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management 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. During that match David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets came out, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy 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 motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his early years 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 overcome 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 work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle 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 showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'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 arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers make grim 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 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 stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this together.'