🔗 Share this article

'I reckon that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester winning the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his fresh chapter 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 of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 furnished him much more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the impossible can be attainable,' he remarks.

'How Did Fuchs Wind Up Here?'

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the part of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, breaking into a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He sorts through some post on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, with a smile. Another delivery brings a collection of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. 'Stuff like this genuinely makes me very happy,' he states.

A Past Trip and a Misspelt Name

Prior to returning from North Carolina to take on his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s last trip 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 the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an curious error was discovered. {'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 hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Insights from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you picture an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to change anything.''

Fuchs holds dear lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our methodology as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very keen to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Mindset

Fuchs’s determination originates in his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be good enough,' he reveals. {'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 can't do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and put in the hard yards. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m quite determined. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Battle 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, displaying a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he says, highlighting ball progression and statistics about getting behind defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he states. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just going long all the time.'

The overarching numbers paint sobering 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 tasted victory 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 secured a valuable 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 create a fortress.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so wrong with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two megs already, get in! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re striving towards this together.'