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'The probability of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of Newport County, and the immense task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion runs in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some post on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so a veteran of the sport, 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 didn’t get involved 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 cherishes 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 mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels 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: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m very determined. 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 had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' 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 probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers make grim 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 tasted victory at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the thick of things. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'