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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, 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 unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he says, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another envelope brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get additional 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 players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in 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 defeat 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 can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see possibility, 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 opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, 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 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 percentage to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers make bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two megs already, yes! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this together.'