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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the immense 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 provided him with a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Discourse flows in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He opens some mail on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this makes me very happy,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelled 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 pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, 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 what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change 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 additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Forget 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 give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating 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 physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint bleak 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 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 garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this together.'