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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his recent venture as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse runs in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled 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.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained 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 test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s drive comes from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities 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 defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he explains, emphasizing 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 long-ball, 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 overarching numbers present sobering reading. Newport have won 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this collectively.'