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'I would say that the likelihood of us reviving our campaign are lower than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of averting a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he states, letting out laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion flows in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some mail on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another delivery brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until 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 endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets came out, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt 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.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get additional 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 thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive comes from his upbringing 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 skilled enough,' he reveals. {'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't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded 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 probability to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present bleak reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are without a victory 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative 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 inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'