• Premier League

Ancelotti writes off City's title hopes

Roberto Mancini has been under pressure at Manchester City after suffering three straight defeats © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Tevez refuses to commit to City
  
• News: Defiant Mancini asks: 'Why should I be fired?'
  
• News: Mancini dismisses City rift talk
  

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Manchester City are unlikely to compete for the title as they have expanded the squad too quickly.

City had been tipped to be serious title challengers after their 1-0 victory over Chelsea in September, but they have struggled for form since and are currently on a run of three successive defeats in all competitions.

Regular reports of disagreements among players and dissatisfaction with Roberto Mancini's training methods have done little to boost City's title credentials, and Ancelotti feels they are likely to fall short this season.

"I think Arsenal and Man United are at the same level," he said. "I thought that Manchester City could be involved in the race for first position but now they have problems and they need to move on quickly if they want to fight for the title.

"I think that the problem is to put together a lot of new players in a new squad, in a new team. This is the most difficult thing to do."

Ahead of Sunday's game against West Brom, though, City midfielder Patrick Vieira has said he is confident Mancini will turn things around at Eastlands.

"Roberto Mancini is a winner," Vieira said, having won two Serie A titles under Mancini at Inter. "Maybe some people in England don't understand that yet, but he is a winner.

"He was a winner as a player and he has exactly the same attitude as a manager - he wants to be the best there is.

"Mancini demands that his players meet the same standards that he demands of himself. If they don't then he will be unhappy and they will know about it.

"Do you think that Ferguson, Wenger or Mourinho walk around smiling when things are tough? He is not a man who will give up. Quitting is not in his character and to suggest that he is under pressure with his team fourth in the Premier League is crazy.

"It is not my place to tell the owners of the club what to do, but as a player I am qualified to comment on how I see things on the pitch.

"I played under a great manager at Arsenal in Arsene Wenger and it is clear that the reason he has had so much success there is because he has been allowed the time to build the team he wants. It is the same with Ferguson at United.

"It is no accident that those two men have been successful because they have both been given time. Even Chelsea under Mourinho and now Ancelotti have achieved the kind of stability every club needs to be successful.

"There is so much pressure on the manager here because of the money that has been spent and, of course, he will be judged by results on the pitch, but three months into a manager's first full season in England is no time for alarm bells to ring."

The Mirror reports that Mancini plans to clear out his squad in January, with Roque Santa Cruz, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Shay Given and Wayne Bridge all expected to be sold.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.