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'I reckon that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his recent venture as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be achievable,' he states.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk travels in multiple pathways, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this makes me very happy,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets came out, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt 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 choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s motivation comes from his early years 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 capable 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 cannot do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m very stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have won 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two megs already, get in! 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 striving towards this collectively.'