The new County management mix of Christian Fuchs and Mark Smith perceive a "back to basics" mantra as the key to finally hauling their Exiles clear off the League Two trap door
The duo step out again, continuing their first management adventure when Barrow land at Rodney Parade in a League Two tie this Saturday [15.00] - the 24th placed Port seeking points to ignite a beacon within the dungeon of their section, thus ending the frustration of 259 days without a home league win.
Fuchs, 39, who last week jetted into County from two years working under ex-Aston Villa chief Dean Smith at MLS club Charlotte FC, believes traction is sourced from clean sheets.
He reflected, "I have a clear vision of how I want my team to play. Now is not the time for experimentation. Once I am happy seeing us doing the basics properly, we'll move on. We now need to build player confidence.
"The confidence of the team will build steadily once there is a realisation within them that they can defend properly. We need to be a team that no-one wants to play against. We must be hard to break down and be able to defend solidly from set pieces. We concede too many goals from wide positions.
"On Saturday, you will see a side that will fight for everything. We will look to win the second balls."
Austrian Fuchs climbed the soccer ladder via SV Mattersburg, a loan spell with Bundesliga Mainz 05 - where he was mentored by a young Thomas Tuchel, - prior to winning a Super Cup at Schalke 04. The momentous six years at Leicester's King Power Stadium followed, yielding a Premier League crown and an FA Cup Final winning medal.
Fuchs' assistant at Newport is Gwent-born Smith, whose father is a season-ticket holder at Rodney Parade. Both men share deep coaching beliefs and a mentality of how the game should be played - it's so similar to the Brian Clough-Peter Taylor "clean-sheet" philosophy of five decades years ago..
Smith, 37, was a highly-rated young coach at Crystal Palace prior to his eventual link with Fuchs' Fox Academy which has centres dotted around the USA, including New York, and London
Recalled Smith, "I took a Palace youth side up to play Leicester and Christian grabbed me off the pitch. It was very clear rapidly that we shared the same philosophy on coaching and how the game should be played.
"He [Christian] was very much still a player when we first met. I don't think he saw himself going into coaching straight away. Christian was learning off different managers and maybe taking some of their ideas to our academy lads to show them the type of traits needed for them to develop into quality players. He'd come to coaching sessions and watch games."
Smith says it's good to be back in Gwent, "I used to watch Newport playing in the Dr Martens League at Spytty Park with my dad. He always used to go on about County's big European adventure of many years ago. I have seen the footage, of course.
"Dad is at Rodney Parade regularly. He is a season-ticket holder at County and is expecting big things from me now at the club. I couldn't not believe it when Christian told me there might be an opportunity for us at Newport - it is so good to be home!"
The Fuchs-Smith force will look to kick off with an immediate victory at Barrows' expense. The Bluebirds are without a victory in four coming into the clash against a County squad boosted by the return of borrowed Leicester striker Nathan Opoku from injury.
New Zealand keeper Nik Tzanev could challenge Jordan Wright for a starting spot and manager Fuchs might look to shuffle his midfield hand with Cameron Evans returning to central defence, on-loan Swansea linkman Ben Lloyd and former Cardiff player Cameron Antwi potentially up for selection.
Said Fuchs, "I was asked if I was insane to leave the MLS for this challenge at Newport. Well, I didn't consider it to be a gamble because I wanted to become a head coach and just seeing the type of characters at the club from the office to the President [Chairman] and beyond, tells me I made the right decision.
"I will say now, I plan to be a Premier League head coach one day."