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'The probability of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another package brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Prior to returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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 fitting.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'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 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 considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s drive stems from his upbringing 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 good enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome 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't do that.’ I’m going to prove 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.'

Data-Driven 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 boots up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make sobering reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are without a victory in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not tasted victory 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a impenetrable home.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative 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 part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'