🔗 Share this article

'I estimate that the likelihood of us turning the season around are lower than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' Christian Fuchs is talking about his new life as head coach of the League Two strugglers, and the monumental task of staving off a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him much more than a champion's gong. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The natural place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another package brings a collection of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 fitting.'

Insights from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. 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 observational approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch 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 change anything.''

Fuchs values experiences 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 challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our approach as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s determination 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 capable enough,' he reveals. {'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 cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. 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 Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to arrive than just hoofing it all the time.'

The general numbers make bleak 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 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 precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'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 confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two megs already, yes! I want us to regard 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.'