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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, letting out a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion travels in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another delivery brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets dropped, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired 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 hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' 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 watched 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 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 philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in 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 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 can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show statistics 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 happy 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 distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have won 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 won a game 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 earned a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired 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 at heart,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to view 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.'