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'I reckon that the odds of us turning the season around are less than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as manager of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he comments, breaking into a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Discourse runs in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Things like this makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed 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 light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you see 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 says. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes 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 mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s determination stems from 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 capable enough,' he reveals. {'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 not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'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 chance to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader 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 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 earned a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this collectively.'