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'I reckon that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are lower than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as head coach of Newport County, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's illogical, right?' he comments, letting out a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion travels in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back 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 suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an amusing error emerged. {'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 hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, 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 what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear 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 push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation 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 shares. {'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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle 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, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers present grim reading. Newport have managed 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 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 secured a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two pannas 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 a collective, we’re working on this as one.'