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'The probability of a late surge is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be achievable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets dropped, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to edit 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.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to 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 experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s motivation stems from 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 defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs 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 give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general 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 won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent injury-time equaliser with 10 men earned 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 build a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys 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 middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this collectively.'