🔗 Share this article

'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his recent venture as boss of Newport County, and the monumental task of averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he states, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his charismatic character across a fascinating 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 barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Until his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester were on the end of a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs admits. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' found its way 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 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs values lessons learned 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 major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Nature

Fuchs’s determination originates in 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 skilled 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 can't do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite determined. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Struggle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be unique. 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 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 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 earned a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two pannas already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re one team, we’re working on this collectively.'