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'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his new life as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another package brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in 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 picture an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 cherishes insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s motivation comes from 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite determined. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 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 earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! 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 collectively.'