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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he says, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in multiple pathways, 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. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, 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 what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned 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 challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 good 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 very determined. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers present bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 secured three points 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 garnered a valuable 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 build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two megs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'