🔗 Share this article

'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as boss of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of staving off a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the polar opposite of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The natural place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, erupting in a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion travels in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another package brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this genuinely makes me very content,' he states.

A Previous Visit and a Misspelt Name

Until coming back 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 shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets were released, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' 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 holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant 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 focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his early years 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 discloses. {'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 can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my personality is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he explains, 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 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 find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering reading. Newport have secured 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots 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 in here,' he says, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this together.'