{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Pretty Headstrong. Whenever I Notice Promise, I'm Going for It'|Ex-Leicester Star Christian Fuchs Speaks Candidly on League Two Mission

'The prospect of a late surge is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with much more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be possible,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he states, breaking into laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. The discussion travels in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt 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 pleasant.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be inspired. 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 hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'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 studied 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 more out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation originates in his upbringing 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 capable enough,' he reveals. {'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 cannot do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

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

The general numbers present bleak reading. Newport have won 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 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 garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two pannas already, yes! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this as one.'