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'The prospect of a late surge is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of staving off a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the part of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk travels in different directions, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong 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.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, 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 stayed out of it 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 values 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology 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 driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in his childhood 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 shares. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier 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 overarching numbers present grim 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 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 satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong 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 at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this collectively.'