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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his recent venture as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be possible,' he states.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, breaking into a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, 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, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move 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. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong 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 nice.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired 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 observational approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ 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 comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s determination originates in 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 get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, 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 demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied 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 distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make sobering reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are winless 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this as one.'