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

'I estimate that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are lower than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his fresh chapter as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs end up here? 'That's the aspect of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he comments, letting out laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear sign of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Discourse travels in multiple pathways, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until returning 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 were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets were released, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to censor 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 pleasant.'

Experiences from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined 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 long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs values experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology 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 focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive comes 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 capable enough,' he reveals. {'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 not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very stubborn. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight 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 statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league 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 broader numbers make grim reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are yet to win 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the boxes – two nutmegs already, yes! 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 working on this collectively.'