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'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of preventing a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse flows in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to accept 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. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious 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.'

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 appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst 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 says. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes 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 mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant 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 driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive comes from his childhood 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make 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 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 precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two megs already, yes! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this as one.'