What's more surprising is that even though, by hook or by crook, Roeder tried to dissolve the Doherty-Shackell partnership, it's somehow re-emerged. It's like a turd in the sea that won't float away.
Roeder saw the problem at centre-back and I honestly believe that without injuries to Stefanovic and Kennedy (who probably would have stayed the season), we'd be fifteen points better off by now and still harboring fanciful ideas of a late surge for the play-offs. But somehow fate once again transpired against us, and Roeder's inability to to keep his friends close and enemies even closer finally did for what started as such a promising relationship.
One question arose during the whole Roeder v The Fans saga: why didn't he just apologise? And where was the tough chairman taking him to task? A simple, humble apology would have wiped the slate clean with all but the most curmudgeonly (mostly residing in the Pink'un Care Home, who seem to take these things extremely personally), but it was beyond him. Maybe it never even occurred to him. Whatever it was, his persecution complex got in the way and he alone was responsible for talking his way out of possibly the best job he may ever have had.
So, like a shaggy old Saint Bernard you just don't want to put down, Gary Doherty is back in the starting line-up along with his obedient junior, who's found his way home after escaping through a whole under the fence last summer. If you're looking for commitment, look no further, but the reservations about those two remain identical to the post below.
Doherty is actually getting better - we should remember this is really only his third full season as a centre-back - but his lack of pace will always be exposed and if he is the best we can hope for then we we're going down.
But you know all this. You saw it coming. You held onto the hope for as long as you could, and now it's fading rapidly, being replaced with the dreadful thought that you might actually want to give up watching Norwich - at least for a little while.
Should we lose today against Coventry - and I will eat my hat if we don't - then we can be sure of third tier football next season. All the clubs around us should lose today, and we won't get another chance. And if we lose today, I'm going to give up my season ticket and have a couple of years of trying to find something else to do on a Saturday afternoon. Living in Norwich, that doesn't leave me with a lot of options, but it's for the best.
It's too depressing living with fading hope and knowing your expectations will generally be realised. Because the only expectations we have these days are that we'll play some nice football, give away a soft goal and ultimately be frustrated by a combination of panicky shooting and bad refereeing. It's all so bloody predictable yet still we turn up.
But maybe not for much longer.
