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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of preventing a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he states, erupting in laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk travels in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this really makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back 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 suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled 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 choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you look at 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 explains. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy 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 eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Character

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 good enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't 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 personality is: I’m pretty determined. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Detailed 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present grim 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 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'