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'The probability of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the monumental task of preventing a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, breaking into a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion runs in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

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. On that occasion a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt 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.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, 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 appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, 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 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation comes from his early years 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 skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers paint sobering 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this collectively.'