'The prospect of a late surge is arguably less likely than that legendary 5,000-1 title, which strangely puts the odds in our corner.' The Austrian veteran is reflecting on his new life as head coach of the Football League's bottom club, and the monumental task of averting a drop into non-league football. Here lies a challenge at the complete other end of the scale, though that miraculous title win in 2016 provided him with far more than a Premier League trophy. {'It assisted in altering my outlook a little bit ... it demonstrated that the unattainable can be attainable,' he states.
'How Did Fuchs End Up Here?'
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 says, breaking into a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his engaging character across a fascinating conversation. Discourse flows in multiple pathways, from working under the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the immediate requirement to find a nearby hairdresser.
He opens some post on his desk. Among it is a message from a Leicester supporter offering encouragement, accompanied by a couple of glossy photos from that campaign. {'Young Fuchs,' he says, smiling. Another package brings a collection of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A card from the Newport Supporters’ Club has pride of place. Items like this makes me very pleased,' he concludes.
A Prior Encounter and a Misspelt Name
Until his move back from North Carolina to accept his first job in senior management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester suffered a Newport giantkilling in the FA Cup third round. During that match a former full-back duelled against Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the teamsheets dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to censor this,' Fuchs jokes. '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 nice.'
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 hired Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian arrived at the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his hands-off approach worked wonders. {'When you look at Claudio you picture an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s the complete opposite,' Fuchs explains. {'He just said he was going to monitor 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 alter anything.''
Fuchs values experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always considered: ‘How can I get extra out of the players? How can I challenge 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 similar situation to where I am now … very driven, very anxious to prove himself.'
Origins and a Resolute Nature
Fuchs’s motivation stems from his upbringing in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable 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 can not do this, you can't do that.’ I’m going to prove that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my personality is: I’m very determined. If I see promise, I’m making it happen.'
Data-Driven Approach and the Fight 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, presenting a slide he presented to his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he says, emphasizing 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 states. {'My first game, it was very physical, League Two football, but we want to be distinct. I think a five-yard pass has a higher probability to find its target than just launching it all the time.'
The overarching numbers paint bleak 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 last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a force at home,' Fuchs stresses. {'It’s just not good enough, not even having a win. We need to construct a fortress.'
One of the Lads at Heart
By his own acknowledgement, Fuchs relishes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He hung up his boots less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, likes being in the middle of the action. {'I’m a component of the group. I’m still a player at heart,' he states, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always joining in in the drills – two nutmegs 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 working on this together.'
