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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as manager of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging 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 immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another package brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat 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 admits. But when the teamsheets were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt 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 fitting.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s determination originates in his upbringing 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 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 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 character is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Analytical 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 fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present 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 won a game 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 satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'