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'I estimate that the odds of us turning the season around are lower than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk travels in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some post on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this really makes me very happy,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in first-team coaching 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. During that match the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets came out, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself 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 turned out to be inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He didn’t get involved 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes insights gained 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 challenge them mentally?’’ 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 comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his childhood 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 good enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers make 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 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 garnered a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this as one.'