https://archive.ph/AysMZ
some excerpts:
‘I like a challenge but this, for my first job, is probably the toughest of them all,’ Fuchs tells Daily Mail Sport.
His first port of call was an old friend. He sent a text to Jamie Vardy, his former Leicester team-mate, now plying his trade at Cremonese in Italy. ‘I asked Jamie if he wants to pack his bags,’ grins Fuchs. ‘Of course I did, even though I knew what the answer would be!’
For the first few weeks in the job, Fuchs was on the lookout for a local barber. In the end, after an unsuccessful search, he went back to Leicester for his trim. He doesn’t have to pay for it there. You would be surprised if Fuchs will ever have to pay for anything in the city after what he achieved.
‘It’s tough to see, the points deduction, which will put them right into a relegation battle,’ says Fuchs. ‘I checked the table right away. It hurts because as much as I’m dedicated and committed to what I’m doing here with Newport, I’ll always be a Leicester supporter. I have watched almost every single game since I left. It hurts a lot.’
Leicester were hit with that points deduction on Thursday and it does plunge them into a relegation scrap. But who’s to blame? Much fan fury is directed at long-time director of football Jon Rudkin while some are even calling for Leicester’s owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, known as Khun Top, to sell up. Top, the son of former chairman Vichai who died in the helicopter crash in 2018, spoke to the media for the first time in 10 years last week to reiterate his desire to turn the club’s fortunes around.
‘It’s always hard to talk about when you don’t know all the ins and outs, when you’re not in there, and you can only assume what is happening because you pick up bits and bobs here and there,’ adds Fuchs, who is reluctant to elaborate on either the bits or the bobs.
‘Top has a big, big commitment to the club. I know for a fact he loves the club. As tragic as it was [losing his father], as much as everyone feels for him and it will never be forgotten, because football is so short-living, there’s also no mercy. He’s in charge of the whole empire. That weight is heavy.
‘It’s not only Leicester City, it’s [sister club] OH Leuven, it’s all of King Power. It’s hotel chains, it’s being a big shareholder. And on top of that he has a family. We only see Leicester but the size of the burden that fell on his shoulders, you cannot grasp. I believe he’s doing his best. Do I feel for him? To an extent, yes.’
In the meantime, Andy King, a fellow title winner, has been placed in interim charge. Fuchs sent him a text right away: ‘You got this’. The members of the 2016 title winners’ WhatsApp group did the same when Fuchs got the Newport job. ‘We’re still watching out for each other.’
Fuchs still gets letters from Leicester supporters, ones usually stuffed with glossy pictures of the glory days. Eight Schalke fans turned up unannounced to the win against Crewe, the club’s first home victory in 289 days, and presented him with a fisherman’s hat. ‘I felt so much love in that moment,’ says Fuchs.
Would he love to manage Leicester one day? The answer comes immediately. ‘Yes.’ That was quick. Fuchs shrugs. ‘I’m not making secrets.
‘I went through everything with that club that you can imagine and cannot imagine, from the highest highs to the lowest lows. That creates a special bond. I said when I left that you might lose a player but you gain a fan. That’s what I am.
‘Chris Finn [Newport’s head of operations] said to me the other day: “It doesn’t look good for Leicester...they might sack the manager soon. Bye, Christian!” They know how much Leicester means to me. I might need to make it more of a secret but I cannot. It doesn’t take anything away from my loyalty here, the energy and hard work I put in. This club gave me the first opportunity here in the UK to be a manager. So, I am very thankful for that. That has a special place but Leicester is just different.’
Reims fans were warning us that Faes wasn't PL standard, accurately detailing his flaws that we came to know all too well Decent scouting should have thrown up his many red flags and a decent head of recruitment would have added him to their discard list
