{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Pretty Stubborn. When I Spot Possibility, I'm Making It Happen'|Former Foxes Defender Christian Fuchs Opens Up on League Two Mission

'The prospect of a late surge is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his recent venture as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of staving off a drop 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 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he comments, breaking into a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Our talk travels in multiple pathways, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He sorts through some post on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned 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 test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive stems from his upbringing 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 skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Analytical 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 fires up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking 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 percentage to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers paint sobering 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys 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 heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two pannas already, get in! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this as one.'