🔗 Share this article

'I would say that the chances of us transforming our fortunes are lower than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as boss of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of preventing a drop into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my perspective a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be possible,' he states.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs find himself here? 'I guess that's the part that's not logical, right?' he comments, erupting in laughter. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. Our talk runs in multiple pathways, from being managed by Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. There is a note from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, grinning. Another package brings a hoard of old Panini stickers, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. 'Stuff like this really makes me very content,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s last trip to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs recalls. But when the official sheets dropped, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you imagine an seasoned professional, so a veteran of the sport, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences 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 mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our methodology as well. How can you make good thinkers on the pitch? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very motivated, very eager to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Nature

Fuchs’s drive stems from 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 good 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 cannot do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. 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 had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he used with his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he points out, emphasizing ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he states. {'My first game, it was very physical, lower-league football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just launching it all the time.'

The overarching numbers present grim reading. Newport have managed 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 secured three points 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 garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a fortress.'

One of the Lads at Heart

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