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'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of averting a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in various tangents, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some post on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another delivery brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an amusing error came to light. {'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 hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Claudio, 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 came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 observed 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 thought: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach 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 focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive stems 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 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't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint grim reading. Newport have secured 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 won a game 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 power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots 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 says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, yes! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this collectively.'