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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse runs in multiple pathways, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this really makes me very content,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'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 amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He remained on the sidelines 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 holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology 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 anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive stems from his early years 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Detailed 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 opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make sobering reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are winless in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not won a game 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 crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career 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 states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in 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 a collective, we’re tackling this together.'