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'I would say that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, breaking into a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in different directions, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'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 holds dear insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he says, emphasizing 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 states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league 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 broader numbers present sobering 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 tasted victory 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 secured 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 impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'