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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. Here lies 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 winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, erupting in a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt 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 pleasant.'

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 hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs values experiences 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 psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology 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 motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation originates in 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle 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, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 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 earned a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this as one.'