Manchester City's foreign legion lack identity, says Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti believes Manchester City are a side that, as yet, still lacks "a clear identity" though the Chelsea manager has stressed the importance of establishing a lead over the Premier League's most potent emerging force ahead of their trip to Eastlands at the end of September. Chelsea opened their campaign with a 6-0 drubbing of West Bromwich Albion last Saturday with Ancelotti challenging his players to emulate last season's flawless start – they won their first six league fixtures under his tenure – in the hope that the other contenders are forced to play catch-up. He counts City among the threats, though the mass of new arrivals at the club will need time to bed in, with the champions hoping to establish a lead while Roberto Mancini's side is still gelling. Asked to assess Chelsea's immediate rivals after the first round of Premier League fixtures, Ancelotti said: "I saw Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City, and Spurs showed the same strength and power that they had showed last year in home games. Manchester City are not a team again but they have a lot of skills, a lot of ability. They don't have a clear identity. They have problems. But that's normal in the first game. You will see the power of City in a month or so. "It's normal that a team needs time [to adapt]. When they play against us [on 25 September] they'll be a team. They've changed a lot of players and they'll need time to adapt, not just to build their team but to give the players who have come here from other countries a period to get used to life in this country. "We have to look at City in a month. After that we can say whether or not they are able to fight for the title. I think they will be but, for now, our main challengers are Manchester United who still have a lot of power and strength." Ancelotti's principal summer signing, the Brazil midfielder Ramires, will not be considered for this evening's visit to Wigan having only started training with the first-team squad at Cobham yesterday. Another long-standing target, the teenage forward Neymar, is to remain at Santos having accepted an improved contract at the Brazilian club, leaving Ancelotti to watch City's lavish spending in the transfer market this summer from afar. "The reason they did that was because they needed the players," said Ancelotti, who may yet have to deflect interest from Real Madrid in Didier Drogba before the closure of the transfer window. "If you need the players, it's normal to spend. If you have the money, you can spend it. Man City have the money. I can't spend this money because I don't have it. This club, Chelsea, bought fantastic players in the past and can use those players now six or seven years on. I'd prefer to have the players than to search for them. You're not always able to take the players you want. I'd prefer to have the players already, and I have a fantastic squad. "We must just concentrate on getting a good start. Last year, our start was the key to us winning the title. We would like to arrive at the City game on top of the table. "