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'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him far more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's not logical, right?' he says, breaking into laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse travels in different directions, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this makes me very content,' he adds.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back 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 cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards came out, an amusing error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 nice.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an older man, so a veteran of the sport, 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 stayed out of it at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained 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 mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy 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 anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s determination stems from 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 capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat 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't do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking 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 direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. 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 secured three points 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two pannas already, yes! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re striving towards this as one.'