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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his new life as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse flows in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until coming back 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. That day David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push 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 comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s determination stems from his childhood 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 capable 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 cannot 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 pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

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 boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he points out, highlighting 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 insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this collectively.'