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'I would say that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as manager of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Discourse runs in different directions, 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 mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another envelope brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline 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. On that occasion a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way 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 move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I test 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 similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s motivation originates in 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 skilled enough,' he shares. {'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 can not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty determined. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present grim 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 secured three points 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 garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two megs already, yes! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'