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'I estimate that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are lower than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, breaking into a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse runs in multiple pathways, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, 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 an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values experiences 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 challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy 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 anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s determination stems from his early years 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 skilled 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 cannot do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

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 boots up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers present sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 secured a crucial 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 impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

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