{Christian Fuchs: 'I'm Very Stubborn. Whenever I Notice Potential, I'm Going for It'|Former Foxes Defender Christian Fuchs Opens Up on League Two Challenge

'The prospect of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that historic 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favour.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his fresh chapter as manager of the Football League's bottom club, and the immense task of preventing a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum of success, though that fairytale title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a winner's medal. {'It helped change my outlook a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be possible,' he states.

'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'

The natural place to start is: how did Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that isn't straightforward, wouldn't you say?' he comments, erupting in a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse travels in various tangents, from working under Thomas Tuchel and the former Leicester manager to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He sorts through some mail on his desk. There is a letter from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, along with a couple of professional photographs from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he muses, with a smile. Another delivery brings a stash of old stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A greeting from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this really makes me very pleased,' he concludes.

A Past Trip and a Funny Mistake

Until returning from North Carolina to accept his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the match of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the lineup cards dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'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.'

Experiences from Claudio, Rodgers and Tuchel

His decision to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester brought in Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian joined the club in the heart of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach did the trick. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so long in the business, maybe a bit old school, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs says. {'He just said he was going to observe 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter 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 push them mentally?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a significant part of our methodology as well. How can you make good players who choose wisely? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Origins and a Determined Nature

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his upbringing 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 good enough,' he reveals. {'There are people who let that overcome 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 prove that I can and give absolutely everything. The other thing about my character is: I’m quite determined. If I see promise, I’m going for it.'

Analytical Approach and the Struggle 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 showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season highs,' he explains, 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 declares. {'My first game, it was very direct, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to arrive than just launching it all the time.'

The broader numbers present bleak reading. Newport have managed 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 earned a precious point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to create a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player in here,' he says, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always participating in the drills – two nutmegs already, brilliant! I want us to view each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re striving towards this together.'