🔗 Share this article

'The prospect of a dramatic turnaround is arguably a longer shot than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which logically 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 averting a drop into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that miraculous title win in 2016 furnished him far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical 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, letting out laughter. It is the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear demonstration of his playful character across a wide-ranging conversation. Discourse flows in different directions, from working under Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, paired with a couple of glossy photos from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another envelope brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this makes me very content,' he adds.

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 previous visit 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 the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the match of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an interesting error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something pleasant.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and an iconic story unfolded. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you imagine an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe training in Austria for the first week. He didn’t get involved 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 modify anything.''

Fuchs cherishes lessons learned from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get extra 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 thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a comparable position to where I am now … very focused, very anxious to prove himself.'

Origins and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive 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 capable enough,' he shares. {'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 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 character is: I’m very stubborn. If I see possibility, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs fires up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit several season peaks,' he points out, highlighting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he declares. {'My first game, it was very physical, fourth-tier football, but we want to be different. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers make 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men garnered 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 create a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He retired less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he remarks, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! I want us to view each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this together.'