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'I reckon that the chances of us transforming our fortunes 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 head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse travels in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another package brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 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 first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit 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 performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s so not,' 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 change 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 approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive stems 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 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 show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

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 boots up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 tasted victory 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 garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots 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 inside,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this collectively.'