🔗 Share this article

'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably more remote than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life 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 spectrum of success, though that miraculous title win in 2016 gave him much more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, breaking into a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. The discussion runs in different directions, from working under the current England boss and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some correspondence on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another delivery brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Things like this makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Prior to his move back from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards dropped, an interesting error emerged. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian came to the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you picture an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I test them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology 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 motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Character

Fuchs’s determination comes from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be good 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 cannot 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 promise, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Battle for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and formerly ran Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The broader numbers paint grim reading. Newport have managed three of 19 league matches and are without a victory 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 garnered a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'