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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of averting a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse flows in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management 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. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter 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 challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant 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 focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive 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 good enough,' he reveals. {'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 cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, 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 boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. 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 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 secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative 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 part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this collectively.'