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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he comments, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. The discussion travels in different directions, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another delivery brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets came out, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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 fitting.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' 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 studied 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 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 similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute 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 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 cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle 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, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers make grim reading. Newport have won 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this as one.'