{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Pretty Headstrong. Whenever I Notice Potential, I'm Going for It'|Ex-Leicester Star Christian Fuchs Opens Up on League Two Task

'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably more remote than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the League Two strugglers, 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 miraculous title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It helped change my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical 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 comments, breaking into a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a fascinating conversation. The discussion flows in different directions, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a barber in the area.

He looks at some mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, paired with a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another envelope brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Typographical Error

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to take on his first job in first-team coaching last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to redact this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled 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 fitting.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs explains. {'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 watched you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always thought: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive comes 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 skilled enough,' he shares. {'There are people who let that defeat them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite stubborn. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

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 opens his laptop to show analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be different. 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 won 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 injury-time equaliser with 10 men secured a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

In the Thick of It at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad 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 in here,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to regard each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this as one.'