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'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of preventing a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he says, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk runs in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He looks at some post on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to his move 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 were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, 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 an iconic story unfolded. The Italian came to the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s drive comes from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Analytical 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just launching 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 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'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 acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member 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, yes! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this collectively.'