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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his recent venture as manager of Newport County, and the monumental task of staving off a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion runs in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until 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 cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets came out, an curious error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s determination comes from his childhood in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels 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: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can not 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 headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers present bleak reading. Newport have won 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 won a game 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 garnered a precious 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 admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career 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 at heart,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two megs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this as one.'