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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I guess that's the part that's illogical, right?' he says, breaking into a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Our talk travels in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He looks at some post on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another delivery brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this really makes me very content,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 fitting.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra 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 decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s motivation 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 good enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'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 general numbers make grim reading. Newport have secured three of 19 league matches and are winless 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 garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this as one.'