🔗 Share this article

'The probability of a late surge is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as manager of the League Two strugglers, and the immense task of averting a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's unpredictable, right?' he says, erupting in a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse travels in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He opens some mail on his desk. Among it is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another delivery brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets came out, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an older man, so experienced in the game, 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 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 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 test them psychologically?’’ 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 analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn 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 good enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome them or there are people who say: ‘Watch me, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You cannot 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 very determined. If I see possibility, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 highs,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, 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 broader numbers paint grim reading. Newport have won 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 won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent 93rd-minute equaliser with 10 men secured a crucial point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component 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 megs already, brilliant! 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 as one.'