🔗 Share this article

'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably less likely than that historic 5,000-1 title, which logically puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as boss of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him much more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my perspective a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in laughter. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse flows in different directions, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He opens some post on his desk. There is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another package brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards were released, an curious error emerged. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They misspelled 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 pleasant.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'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 alter anything.''

Fuchs cherishes insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy 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 focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Mindset

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 discloses. {'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 can't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m pretty headstrong. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight 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, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he explains, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers present sobering 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 won a game 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 power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys 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 component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! 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 working on this as one.'