{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Quite Stubborn. Whenever I Notice Possibility, I'm Doing It'|Former Foxes Defender Christian Fuchs Opens Up on Newport County Challenge

'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' Christian Fuchs is talking about his fresh chapter as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.

The Surprising Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I guess that's the part that's illogical, right?' he comments, breaking into laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion travels in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some post on his desk. Among it is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another package brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Until returning from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights 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 the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s motivation comes 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 skilled enough,' he reveals. {'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 not do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite headstrong. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season bests,' he says, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak reading. Newport have secured 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 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 earned a precious 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 build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two megs already, get in! I want us to see 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.'