THE nation may still be basking in the afterglow of Wales’ extraordinary run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 but the start of the domestic season suggests that a golden age for Welsh club football could be coming to an end.

In the last 10 years Swansea City have won the Football League Trophy (2006), the League One title (2008), the Championship play-off final (2011), the League Cup (2013) and are currently in their sixth successive season in the Premier League.

Over that same period Cardiff City have reached the FA Cup final (2008), the Championship play-off final (2010), the League Cup final (2012) and won promotion to the Premier League as Championship title winners (2013).

And Newport County AFC have gone from non-league also-rans to the Football League via a record-breaking Conference South title win (2010), an FA Trophy final (2012) and a Conference play-off final victory over Wrexham (2013).

It’s been an unprecedented decade of success but from the evidence of the first six weeks of the new season it appears the good times may be coming to an end.

The three sides have won just one game each and between them they have lost 11 times already this season with a combined goal difference of -14.

From a possible 60 points the Welsh trio have collected just 15 with the Exiles earning six from seven games, the Bluebirds just five from eight and the Swans four from five.

South Wales Argus:

Francesco Guidolin (above), whose side currently sit 15th in the Premier League – one point above the relegation places, appears to have lost the respect of several members of his playing staff with Neil Taylor and Ki Sung-yeung openly showing their discontent over the last two weekends.

From the outside the Italian looks perilously close to ‘losing the dressing room’ – if he ever had it – and there would be few who would disagree with former Wales star Kevin Ratcliffe’s verdict that the club is already in a relegation battle.

Things look even worse at the Cardiff City Stadium with Paul Trollope – fresh from helping the national side to the last four in France this summer – already facing calls for his head with his team propping up the Championship table.

Trollope has presided over Cardiff’s worst start to a season in 12 years and has achieved the seemingly impossible in making the Bluebirds fans appreciate the job that Russell Slade (below) did in the capital.

South Wales Argus:

Slade’s team were in contention for a play-off place until the penultimate weekend of last season but since Trollope stepped up to the top job they have yet to score a goal at home with their only victory coming courtesy of two own goals from Blackburn Rovers Shane Duffy.

Having watched Saturday’s capitulation to struggling Leeds United in the press room at Doncaster Rovers in the company of Cardiff legend Jason Perry it’s clear that the club he loves is in for a long old season.

The same could be said – and is being said by many on the Argus website and various social media platforms – about County.

Warren Feeney’s men slipped to 22nd in League Two after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at the Keepmoat Stadium – above the drop zone on goal difference alone, albeit with a game in hand.

The Exiles have now won just once in 20 matches stretching back to March and that dreadful run has led many fans to conclude that Feeney’s time is up.

A vociferous minority are calling for him to resign or be sacked and predicting that relegation is nailed-on if he stays.

But, while the statistics don’t make for pretty reading and the defence currently has more holes than the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor, I’d still argue that Feeney’s critics are jumping the gun.

For one thing it seems bizarre that the defeat at Doncaster – the second favourites for promotion from League Two this season – has caused so much anger and anguish.

Did anyone really expect County to get anything more than a dogged point against Darren Ferguson’s men – many of whom were playing in the Championship as recently as 2014?

In fact they did have the opportunities to earn a fourth successive draw but Sean Rigg and Jon Parkin couldn’t rescue County on this occasion and substitute Rhys Healy also missed two late chances.

This weekend’s home clash with bottom club Cambridge United will give us a much better indication of how the season is going to pan out for Feeney and his team.

Lose that one and you have my permission to panic!

And, given that Cambridge have just three points from eight games so far, anything less than three points would have to go down as a major disappointment and would heap even more pressure on Feeney’s shoulders.

But win it and things will suddenly look a whole lot brighter at Rodney Parade and, having seen every game bar the Football League Trophy defeat at Plymouth Argyle, I’m still inclined to back Feeney’s view that his side will survive with something to spare this season.