{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Pretty Headstrong. If I See Promise, I'm Making It Happen'|Ex-Leicester Star Christian Fuchs Opens Up on Newport County Challenge

'I would say that the chances of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is discussing his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he comments, breaking into a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Discourse runs in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He looks at some mail on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another package brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this really makes me very content,' he adds.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until coming back from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline 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 duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards were released, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' found its way in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs states. {'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 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 extra out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our approach 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 driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s drive stems from his childhood 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 shares. {'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 work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite determined. If I see potential, I’m doing it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he explains, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very direct, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'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 admission, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this collectively.'