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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 favor.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of staving off a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he notes.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. The discussion flows in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to assume 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. On that occasion the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 fitting.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 holds dear lessons learned 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not 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 quite determined. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Analytical Approach and the Battle 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, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just hoofing it 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs says. {'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 admission, 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 thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this together.'