LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is strong enough to cope with any mockery from Chelsea fans during their two-legged Capital One Cup semifinal, according to boss Brendan Rodgers.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said over the weekend that he does not like his side's fans taunting Gerrard over a crucial slip made last May as the Reds chased a first league title since 1990.
The midfielder's error allowed Demba Ba to stride through and score the opener as Mourinho's side won 2-0 at Anfield, a result that effectively took the destiny of the Premier League title out of Liverpool's hands.
Mourinho also admitted that one of his greatest disappointments in two spells as Chelsea's manager was failing to sign Gerrard in 2005.
The former England captain was close to moving to Stamford Bridge, having handed in a transfer request six weeks after leading Liverpool to the Champions League title.
Gerrard ultimately decided to stay and sign a new contract at Anfield, where he will remain until leaving for the LA Galaxy when his current deal expires in June.
Rodgers thinks Mourinho's praise for the 34-year-old is a sign of appreciation for his talent.
The Liverpool boss said: "I think Jose's talking out of respect for one of the best players this league's ever seen.
"Players sometimes get stick. But Steven last year was big part of the reason why we challenged for the title. It wasn't because of his slip that we lost it. He was a big part of why we nearly won it.
"He's a strong character, he knows how to cope with that. He's dealt with it all his career. He'll have no problem dealing with that."
Gerrard missed Saturday's 1-0 Premier League win at Aston Villa because of a hamstring problem, and it is not yet clear whether he will be available to face Chelsea in Tuesday's first leg.
The second leg will take place seven days later, following Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round home tie against Bolton.
With a two-legged Europa League last-32 tie against Turkish side Besiktas to come in February, Liverpool are still in contention for three trophies this season.
The Reds are also hopeful of securing Champions League qualification with a top-four Premier League finish, having climbed to eighth place on the back of a month-long unbeaten run.
Rodgers joined Chelsea as a youth coach in 2004, shortly after Mourinho arrived for his first spell as the club's manager, and saw the way in which winning trophies boosted the squad's confidence.
Mourinho's first trophy as Chelsea boss was the 2005 League Cup, with his side beating Liverpool 3-2 in the final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium before going on that season to win the club's first league title since 1955.
Rodgers is awaiting his first trophy as a manager, while Liverpool's only silverware in the last nine seasons was the 2012 League Cup.
But the Reds boss thinks that winning a trophy this season could spark success for him at Anfield in the same way it did for Chelsea 10 years ago.
He said: "Our objective is still very much to win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League. I think that winning a trophy would help our future here, in terms of what we're trying to build and deliver. It'll give the younger players a lot of experience.
"I remember being at Chelsea. I joined Chelsea in 2004 and at that point they were a club wanting to win titles and trophies.
"They've done it in a different way but over the last 10 years, they've shown that once you win that first one, you can go on and sustain it.
"The players who were there then -- some of whom are still there now -- will tell you that first trophy is the most important.
"For us, over two games, we know it's going to be a challenge. But if you want to win the competition, you have to beat the best teams. At the moment, Chelsea are the best in the country. But over two games, we're really looking forward to it.
"When we last played them, we weren't at a good moment but now we're developing and improving, and our confidence is very high.
"They'll be two tough games, but they're games we're really relishing."