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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I imagine that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another delivery brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming 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 were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt 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.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s determination 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very determined. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers present grim reading. Newport have managed 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 secured three points 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 dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative 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 says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this collectively.'