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

'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of staving off a fall into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse travels in various tangents, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another envelope brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until his move back from North Carolina to assume 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 cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets came out, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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 pleasant.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, 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 monitor 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 insights gained 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation 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 shares. {'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 can not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite determined. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The general numbers present bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re working on this collectively.'