'I reckon that the odds of us transforming our fortunes are slimmer than Leicester lifting the Premier League, so they are in our favor, right?' The Austrian veteran is discussing his recent venture as manager of the League Two strugglers, and the daunting task of averting a fall into non-league football. This represents a challenge at the complete other end of the spectrum of success, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 furnished him a great deal more than a winner's medal. {'It contributed to shifting my outlook a little bit ... it showed that the unattainable can be possible,' he notes.
The Unlikely Path to Rodney Parade
The obvious place to start is: what brought Fuchs wind up here? 'I guess that's the part that's illogical, right?' he states, letting out a laugh. This serves as the 39-year-old's opening gambit and a clear sign of his playful character across a fascinating conversation. Our talk flows in various tangents, from playing for the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the pressing need to find a local barber.
He opens some post on his desk. Included is a message from a Leicester supporter sending best wishes, accompanied by a couple of shiny pictures from that memorable year. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another delivery brings a stash of old Panini stickers, one from an album marking Euro 2016, when he captained Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is displayed prominently. Items like this really makes me very happy,' he concludes.
A Prior Encounter and a Typographical Error
Until his move back 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 suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. On that occasion David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his life,' Fuchs recalls. But when the lineup cards came out, an interesting error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. 'They misspelt my name – somehow a 'k' smuggled itself in in place of the 'h'. It is amusing because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something nice.'
Insights from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel
His choice to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 was a masterstroke. A couple of weeks later Leicester hired Claudio Ranieri and what followed is legendary. The Italian joined the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s anything but,' 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 studied you for a week and I’m not going to modify anything.''
Fuchs cherishes 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 push them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a big part of our approach 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 Resolute Mindset
Fuchs’s motivation stems 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 get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, 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 show that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my character is: I’m very determined. If I see possibility, I’m doing it.'
Analytical Approach and the Struggle 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 analytics from a recent 2-2 draw, presenting a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit several season highs,' he explains, highlighting 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 declares. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher chance to be successful than just going long all the time.'
The overarching numbers make 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 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 secured a precious point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs says. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a stronghold.'
Still a Player at Heart
By his own confession, Fuchs enjoys a challenge. {'What’s so bad with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, loves being in the heart of the battle. {'I’m a member of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, pointing to his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the small-sided games – two megs already, brilliant! I want us to see each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this as one.'
