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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of averting a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk travels in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some post on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to assume 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 cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' 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 alter anything.''

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

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat 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't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he points out, emphasizing 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 declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint grim reading. Newport have managed 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 won a game 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 dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two pannas already, yes! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this as one.'