🔗 Share this article

'The probability of a dramatic turnaround is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which somehow puts the odds in our favor.' Christian Fuchs is reflecting on his recent venture as manager of Newport County, 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 gave him a great deal more than a champion's gong. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it showed that the unthinkable can be attainable,' he remarks.

The Illogical Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'That's the element of the story that seems counterintuitive, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a chuckle. It is the 39-year-old's initial statement and a clear indication of his playful character across a colourful conversation. Discourse travels in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a local barber.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, along with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, grinning. Another delivery brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he led Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.

A Previous Visit and a Funny Mistake

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 suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the teamsheets came out, an amusing error came to light. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They got wrong 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 fitting.'

Lessons from Ranieri, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 turned out to be brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you see Claudio you envision an seasoned professional, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit old school, but he’s anything but,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to watch training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it 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 values insights gained from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get additional out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major 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 driven, very anxious to prove himself.'

Background and a Determined Character

Fuchs’s determination originates in his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are similarities 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: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty determined. If I see promise, I’m going for 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 data from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit numerous season highs,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was recorded at 87%. {'Not happy with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'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 find its target than just launching it all the time.'

The broader 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 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 garnered a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the boxes – two pannas already, yes! I want us to regard each other as a single unit. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re working on this as one.'