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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be possible,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse runs in different directions, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some post on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to take on 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 cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets were released, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences 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 test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big 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 focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s determination comes from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are parallels to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be skilled 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't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint bleak reading. Newport have secured 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two pannas already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re tackling this together.'