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'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be possible,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he says, breaking into a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move 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 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 seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 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 pondered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s drive originates in his early years 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 good enough,' he discloses. {'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 can't do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers make grim 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 won a game 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 secured a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two megs 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 working on this together.'