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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a colourful 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 looks at some correspondence on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered 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 admits. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe 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 remained on the sidelines 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs values experiences 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy 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 eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s determination comes from his childhood 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 get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't 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 character is: I’m quite determined. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

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

The broader numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this as one.'