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'The probability of a late surge is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, breaking into a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse travels in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards came out, an curious error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt 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 nice.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He didn’t get involved 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 thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s determination stems from his childhood 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 capable enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle 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 showed his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this collectively.'