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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his recent venture as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, breaking into a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. The discussion flows in different directions, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another delivery brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets came out, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong 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.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it 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 change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional 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 similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 can't do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded 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 unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint 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 secured three points 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative 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 component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – 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 a collective, we’re tackling this collectively.'