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'The probability of a late surge is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of preventing a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion travels in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album marking 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 adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'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 insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach 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.'

Background and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s drive stems from his childhood 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he explains, highlighting 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, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers present sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this collectively.'