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'I reckon that the chances of us reviving our campaign are less than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of averting a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he notes.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, letting out a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk travels in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

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 says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets dropped, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong 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 nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'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 holds dear insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology 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 driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s motivation comes from his early years 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 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 not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he says, 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 states. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers present grim reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are winless 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men earned a valuable 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 build a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two pannas already, yes! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'