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'The probability of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of preventing a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, erupting in a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse flows in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some mail on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, smiling. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs explains. {'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 alter anything.''

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

Origins and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive 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 reveals. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' 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 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering 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 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 crucial 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 build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys 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 heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'