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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a drop 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 a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, breaking into a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another package brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to returning from North Carolina to accept 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. During that match the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired 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 imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'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 alter 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 more out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Nature

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 good 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 not 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 make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, 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 boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint 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 won a game 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 earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this as one.'