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'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of staving off a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be achievable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. Discourse runs in various tangents, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards were released, an interesting 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 amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in 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 worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big 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 motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation comes 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 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 cannot do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Detailed 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 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 different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage 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 winless 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men earned a crucial point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes 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 middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two pannas already, yes! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this together.'