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'I would say that the odds of us turning the season around are slimmer than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of preventing a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse flows in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some post on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline 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. On that occasion David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 pleasant.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify 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 extra out of the players? How can I challenge them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive stems from his childhood 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 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 prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty determined. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering 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 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 earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this collectively.'