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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of averting a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, letting out a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets were released, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter 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 significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s determination stems from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he shares. {'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 not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty determined. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 secured three points 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two megs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this collectively.'