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'I estimate that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the immense task of averting a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the element of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another package brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Prior to 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 shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained 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 similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s drive comes from his childhood 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 skilled enough,' he discloses. {'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 can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes 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 member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two megs already, get in! 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 tackling this as one.'