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'I estimate that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as manager of Newport County, and the monumental task of averting a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, letting out laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another package brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards dropped, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 nice.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s determination stems from his upbringing 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 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 demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

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 boots up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make grim 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'