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'I would say that the odds of us reviving our campaign are less than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favour, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as manager of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be achievable,' he notes.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he states, breaking into a laugh. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse travels in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'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 modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major 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 eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran 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 many, many season bests,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about getting behind 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 physical, League Two 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 bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two megs already, get in! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'