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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, letting out laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another package brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this genuinely makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision 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 joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his upbringing 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot 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 pretty headstrong. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle 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, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he explains, emphasizing 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 unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make sobering 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two megs already, yes! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this together.'