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'I estimate that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are lower than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he states, letting out a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk travels 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. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Insights 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 joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision 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 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 studied 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 considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I push 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 motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Nature

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 reveals. {'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't 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 character is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering 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 won a game 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 crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two megs already, get in! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this collectively.'