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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse runs in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this makes me very content,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice 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 arrived at 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 traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'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 change anything.''

Fuchs values experiences 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 test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology 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 motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in his upbringing 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome 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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran 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 highs,' he points out, highlighting 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 declares. {'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 arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build 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 thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two megs 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 all in this together, we’re tackling this together.'