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'I estimate that the odds of us turning the season around are lower than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another delivery brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to assume 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 shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 modify 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 challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach 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 eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons 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 overcome 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 prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers present bleak reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this collectively.'