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'I estimate that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his recent venture as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, breaking into a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in multiple pathways, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He looks at some post on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another envelope brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning 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 suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards came out, an curious error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled 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 nice.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off 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 observe 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes insights gained 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 significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s determination comes from his early years 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 defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Forget 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 put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make grim reading. Newport have won 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 secured three points 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 crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this as one.'