John Gibbons: Huddersfield at home is the biggest gift possible for LFC

Father, it has been years since my last confession.

Largely because I’m not catholic. But I feel I need as much redemption as possible, so I’m coming to you in the hope you can help cleanse my soul. For this week, for the first time in my life, I wanted Manchester United to win a game of football.

Not just wanted. Actively supported. Was off my seat as Marcus Rashford raced through. Had head in hands when Jesse Lingard somehow missed at the back post. Actually shouted “our ball” to appeal for a throw in, for Christ’s sake! Sorry, father. Language. Apologies.

I’ve had four showers since the incident and still feel dirty. I went to watch Liverpool’s U18s win the FA Youth Cup last night to try and get it all out the system. Cheering for my team in red in attempt to forget about the others. The side from Manchester who have spent my whole life winning, and yet lose the only game I ever wanted them to win. Typical.

But in my defence, in all of our defences, desperate times call for desperate measures. And I’m very desperate, father. A first league title after 29 years of frustration. A championship that is in the grasp of this wonderful side, who have amassed a record number of points. But the blue side of Manchester just wont stop winning.

All Liverpool can do is keep doing the same.

No game is a given, but Huddersfield at home is the biggest gift possible in these circumstances. A team who hasn’t won for two months and have scored 20 goals all season. Surely they cant trouble the Liverpool defence, with the PFA Player of the Year in waiting? Surely they can’t shut out our front three. Surely…

After Friday is Sunday and City’s trip to Burnley. Football has become a full weekly activity. It seems if we aren’t playing, they are. Worse still, other games come into play too. Teams we are both still to face. How are Wolves looking? Are Brighton safe yet or still fighting for their lives? Can Brendan Rodgers quickly turn Leicester City into 2013-14 Liverpool? It’s all consuming. Exhausting.

But we fight on. What other choice is there? Imagine if we were to slip up because we’d given up, then City were to do the same? Manchester City have won 11 in a row. Same as Liverpool in 13/14 funnily enough. Before they finally faulted three games before the end. A quest for 14 perfect wins just too much…..

Can history repeat itself with the shoe on the other foot? Will Liverpool prosper from a mistake or piece of fortune this time. We can only hope, dream, pray. Worship false gods and do deals with the devil. If we didn’t already in a rocky desert just outside Istanbul.

To win just once against the odds, and once be smiled on by the gods. If we can get this league title over the line I promise I won’t ask for anything ever again, father. Well at least until Madrid, in June.