{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Quite Headstrong. Whenever I Notice Promise, I'm Doing It'|Former Foxes Defender Christian Fuchs Opens Up on League Two Mission

'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of preventing a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be possible,' he states.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

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 states, letting out a chuckle. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Our talk runs in different directions, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. 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' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs values experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation stems from 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 skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome 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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Analytical 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, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy 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 chance to arrive than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make grim reading. Newport have secured 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 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes 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 member of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'