🔗 Share this article

'The probability of a seasonal revival is arguably a longer shot than that fabled 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our favor.' The Austrian veteran is talking about his new life as head coach of Newport County, and the daunting task of preventing a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that fairytale title win in 2016 gave him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the impossible can be attainable,' he notes.

The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade

The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs end up here? 'I suppose that's the part that's illogical, right?' he says, breaking into a chuckle. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear indication of his engaging character across a colourful conversation. Discourse flows in multiple pathways, from playing for Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a nearby hairdresser.

He looks at some correspondence on his desk. Included is a note from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, with a smile. Another package brings a hoard of old collector's items, one from an album commemorating Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. Items like this really makes me very pleased,' he adds.

A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s most recent encounter to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. That day the Newport kit man competed with Fuchs. {'He had the game of his career,' Fuchs admits. But when the teamsheets dropped, an amusing error emerged. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs says with a smile. 'They misspelled my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is funny because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'

Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved inspired. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the middle of a pre-season camp in Austria and his observational approach produced miracles. {'When you observe Claudio you envision an older man, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit traditional, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'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 observed you for a week and I’m not going to alter 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 additional out of the players? How can I test them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a similar situation to where I am now … very focused, very eager to prove himself.'

Background and a Stubborn Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation comes from his childhood 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: ‘Forget you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can't do this, you can not do that.’ I’m going to show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m very determined. If I see potential, I’m going for it.'

Data-Driven Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and previously led Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs boots up his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he points out, noting ball progression and statistics about breaking defensive lines. Passing accuracy was logged at 87%. {'Not satisfied with that … that needs to be in the 90-95% range,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, League Two football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just going long all the time.'

The broader numbers paint sobering reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are without a victory 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 secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a power at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not acceptable, not even having a win. We need to build a stronghold.'

One of the Lads at Heart

By his own admission, Fuchs relishes 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 component of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he states, indicating his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the drills – two pannas already, get in! I want us to see each other as a unified group. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re all in this together, we’re tackling this as one.'