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'The probability of a late surge is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion travels in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another envelope brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision 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 joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 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 additional out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 capable 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 can't do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded 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 launching it all the time.'

The general numbers make sobering reading. Newport have managed 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men garnered a valuable 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 construct a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two pannas already, get in! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'