{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Very Stubborn. Whenever I Notice Promise, I'm Making It Happen'|Ex-Leicester Star Christian Fuchs Opens Up on League Two Task

'I would say that the chances of us turning the season around are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as manager of Newport County, and the daunting task of staving off a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It assisted in altering my mindset a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I imagine that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, letting out laughter. This serves as the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse runs in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a local barber.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another envelope brings a stash of old collector's items, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Things like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Until coming 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 were on the end of a Newport cupset in the FA Cup third round. During that match David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets dropped, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Lessons from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you imagine an older man, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' 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 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 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 thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very motivated, very anxious to prove himself.'

Roots and a Stubborn Character

Fuchs’s drive originates in his upbringing 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 discloses. {'There are people who let that defeat 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 can't do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my personality is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m doing it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight 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, sharing a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit numerous season bests,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased 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 probability to find its target than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have won 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 tasted victory 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 force at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to create a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two nutmegs already, get in! I want us to see 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 together.'