🔗 Share this article

'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as manager of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of preventing a fall into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him much more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical 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 states, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his charismatic character across a colourful conversation. The discussion travels in different directions, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another delivery brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe faced off against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards were released, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. '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 nice.'

Insights 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 hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach did the trick. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs cherishes 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 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 driven, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s drive comes from his early years 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 shares. {'There are people who let that get the better of 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 put in the hard yards. The other thing about my character is: I’m very headstrong. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 tasted victory 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two pannas already, get in! 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 tackling this as one.'