{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Quite Determined. When I Spot Promise, I'm Making It Happen'|Former Foxes Defender Christian Fuchs Speaks Candidly on Newport County Task

'The probability of a late surge is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of averting 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 a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, breaking into laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Our talk runs in multiple pathways, from being managed by the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until returning 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. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards came out, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He didn’t get involved 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in 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 skilled enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Forget 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 show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing 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 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just launching it all the time.'

The general 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men garnered a crucial 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 build a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He retired 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 at heart,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two pannas already, get in! 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 collectively.'