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'I would say that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are lower than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as manager of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be achievable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, erupting in a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion runs in different directions, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'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 is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, 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 the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it 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 change anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned 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 push 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 analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s determination 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 good 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 not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he says, noting 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 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint grim reading. Newport have managed 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 won a game 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 garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves 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 getting involved in the boxes – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this collectively.'