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'I estimate that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, letting out laughter. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion runs in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another delivery brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until returning from North Carolina to take on 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. During that match the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt 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 The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences 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 approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s determination 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 capable enough,' he reveals. {'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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite stubborn. 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 formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting 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 happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' 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 chance to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers paint 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 tasted victory 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 precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, 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 bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two megs already, get in! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this as one.'