{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Quite Determined. Whenever I Notice Potential, I'm Making It Happen'|Former Foxes Defender Christian Fuchs Speaks Candidly on League Two Mission

'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favour.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the daunting task of averting a descent into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the aspect of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse flows in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this genuinely makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets were released, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s drive stems from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons 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 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't 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 make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The general numbers make 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 won a game 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 valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs likes 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 heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'