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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of preventing a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Discourse flows in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another package 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 is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until his move 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 endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to redact 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.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed 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 produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences 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 challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his childhood 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 shares. {'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 cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers present grim reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career 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 states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'