Premier League Prediction Thread 2023/2024

[bitgolden]

Kane is soon becoming 30 years old and I don't know how many teams would like to pay an amount over 100 million euros for his transfer fee. He is actually worth this in my opinion. Because he is still playing incredible and one of the best scorers in the world. I feel confident about him to play this strong for at least a few more years as well.

But not every team think the same as me of course. These days there is only rumours linking him with PSG. This transfer might really happen actually as Messi has left the team. As Mbappe can play in winger position too Kane would be at the centre.

Harry Kane is one of the best scorers in the world. The number of star players at his level is very few. But he's 30 now, and this could be his last high-fee transfer. I think other teams are a little reluctant towards him because of this. It's not right to spend so much money for just a few years. On the other hand, the German and French leagues would be a very good choice for Harry Kane. Because I think the difficulty level of these two leagues is slightly below the Premier League. If Harry Kane transfers to PSG or Bayern Munich he will never have any difficulties.

Looking at how some players go until they are 35-37 years old, I think it wouldn't be impossible for Kante to be a good striker for at least another 6 seasons or so. That is why I believe that he is going to be fine. I know that there are a lot of people who would like to see Kane ate other teams, but I think Bayern seems to be his best choice, that or Real Madrid.

It depends on the situation though, if Real is looking seriously into this Mbappe situation then they will not want Kane, so Bayern will be his best choice, if however Madrid doesn't want or can't get Mbappe then in that case Kane would be the best choice for them. He is a good player that can score a lot of goals for any team he goes to and that's why he is so valuable even at this age.

[1715344620]

1715344620

[1715344620]

1715344620

[Coyster]

Harry Kane is a good player, all he needs currently is a chance to work with a trophy winning side, and it that be Manchester United? For a player that scores more than, thirty goals a single single and having Bruno Fernandez behind, United are sure kf winning the tittle.

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

[Swordsoffreedom]

The main problem is Liverpool's match tactics and Bayern Munich's match tactics are completely different. This is why Sadio Mane could not adapt to the Bayern Munich team. More importantly, if the Munich management expected a lot of goals from Mane then signing Mane was a big mistake for Munich. Sadio Mane has played very well with Liverpool. Liverpool's overall performance was stable thanks to Mane's performance. But Sadio Mane did not score many goals with the Liverpool squad either. And so Bayern Munich should not expect many goals from Sadio Mane.

Apart from what you mentioned that doesn't match the tactics at Bayern Munich. That's because Sadio Mane was forced to replace Lewa, even though the two players have different playing styles and positions. For me, there was a mistake at Bayer Munchen's technical director. If they wanted to replace Lewa, why did they bring in Sadio Mane, who is clearly very different from Lewa.
The problem experienced by Sadio Mane at Bayern Munich reminds me of several players who left Liverpool but found it difficult to adapt to a new club. This didn't just happen to Sadio Mane. Because it's very rare for a Liverpool player to leave, let alone leave Liverpool with a problem that will shine at his new club, but not all. But most of them didn't shine, like Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Torres, Wilnajdum, dudek and others.

I agree with you. Sadio Mane was forced to replace Lewa. Both Lewa and Mane play completely different styles. This was the big mistake of the Bayern Munich management. And this is why Bayern Munich's performance last season was poor and erratic

Bayern Munich management may have realized their mistake. There are rumours that Bayern Munich is interested in Harry Kane. And I think Harry Kane can be a worthy replacement for Lewa. The style of play of these two players is almost the same. And both are capable of scoring plenty of goals.

[macson]

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

the quality between man utd and arsenal is clearly different, so when man utd succeeds in getting kane, i'm sure man utd can shift man city's dominance in the EPL ^{(especially if man utd manages to get a mason mount from chelsea too)}, Kane is a very sharp attacker, he even managed to rank 2 of the EPL top scorers last season, it's a shame he wasn't in the right team so he rarely got a prestigious trophy. 
ten hag has a good strategy, he is also very disciplined in building the man utd squad, he doesn't even hesitate to make cristiano uncomfortable at man utd, the next season will be very tight, we must be difficult to determine which team will win the EPL ^{(even i not sure man city can defend their title in the next season)}

[Mame89]

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

I also look at being realistic, Sancho and Antony are by no means world class or world beaters and don't think they will bring Man United to glory days for sure. Apart from them, the average player like Fred, Mctominay, Sabitzer considering his speed and age, man united will not advance. And it's true that Man United need players like Declan Rice, Kane and creative and very fast midfielders like Modric's when he was young. That way Man United will be able to compete with Man City next season to win the EPL Trophy. If it's just bringing in Kane, I'll also say like you, Man United still need at least one more season to win the EPL.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

I think Arsenal have learned a lot from last season's mistakes they couldn't maintain the rankings at the end of the season because many of their substitute players were not commensurate with the injured main players. so Arsenal are now focused on bringing in several new players and continuing to strengthen the depth of the squad, both main players and reserve players.

[Cookdata]

100 million pounds is very expensive for a striker who is already 30 years old, it is very difficult to deal at this price. It seems that Tottenham deliberately made Kane unable to win a prestigious trophy, when there was a club that could potentially sign Kane, Tottenham instead set a high value for a club that wanted to take him. Kane performance with Tottenham has been tested, he is a great striker. Tottenham shouldn't have kept Kane like this, he deserves something better than he got at Tottenham.
I prefer Kane not to renew his contract with Tottenham, he can go to any club on a free transfer and Tottenham will get nothing from Kane.

I don't think any club will risk such a huge amount on a player that had reached his peak though Harry Kane is still a brilliant striker, however can he continue to score goals consistently in seasons ahead at 30? value at 100 million pounds that is a big risk that some of the clubs are trying to avoid, meanwhile in another related news report Daniel Levy Tottenham chairman is blocking Kane to sign for Man Utd he rather prefer Real Madrid to sign him that means another drama will unfold similar to  what happened two seasons ago when Kane was reportedly keen on signing for Man City unfortunately Daniel Levy block him.

I think he is worth every penny they are asking, after netting an impressive tally of 30 goals in a single season, propelling himself to the position of the second-highest goal scorer, I strongly believe that Kane deserves recognition as a valuable asset to any team judging his exceptional performance in the previous season, where he clinched to be among the top goalscorer despite the club's failure to secure a spot in the Europa League,  Kane has fulfilled his responsibilities in Tottenham as a player by consistently finding the back of the net.

However, he should also consider his age and make a move to a team that will utilize his abilities effectively. Personally, I would love to witness Kane becoming the preferred choice for Real Madrid, as opposed to the constant media speculations surrounding a potential transfer of Mbappe. Spain would undoubtedly provide a suitable environment for Kane to thrive and deliver significant value, surpassing what I believe other teams could offer.

[kro55]

Harry Kane is a good player, all he needs currently is a chance to work with a trophy winning side, and it that be Manchester United? For a player that scores more than, thirty goals a single single and having Bruno Fernandez behind, United are sure kf winning the tittle.

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.
Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

Manchester United will definitely be stronger if Harry Kane is in the team. But becoming more experienced is important to win the title. Over the last few seasons, we have seen the dominance of Manchester City in the Premier League. And with each season, the City continues to increase their strength. And so it is very unlikely that Manchester United will be too strong and win the title next season.

Last season we saw Arsenal's performance. They lost the last few weeks of the season due to a lack of consistency in performance. If you want to win the title, you have to play consistently well. And besides the main squad, there should be talented players on the bench. Otherwise, it is difficult to maintain consistency of performance.

[marcous]

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

There have been numerous speculations surrounding Harry Kane's future in recent media reports. Manchester United has shown interest in Kane, but they have stated that if he truly desires a move, he must submit a transfer request to them. On the other hand, the owners of Tottenham seem reluctant to let Kane go to United and believe it would be better for him to join Madrid or Munchen. In my opinion, Kane would be better off joining Munich if he wants regular playing time and the complete trust of the coach. In Madrid, there is a possibility that Kane could become a backup if he fails to demonstrate his best performance in the initial stages. Another significant factor for Kane is that if he moves to Madrid or Munchen, his chances of winning the Champions League title are slightly higher than at Manchester United.

Staying at Tottenham would be futile for Kane as he has never tasted championship success there. With the quality and number of goals he has achieved, I believe it would be best for him to depart from Tottenham.

[3meek]

Harry Kane is the best scorer at Spurs, but probably not the best or even one of the best in the world... Even if he is captain of the England team his results are still not as good as for example Ronaldo or Benzema, Mbappe, Messi and other star players... Yes, he will be 30 next year and I don't think the top clubs will offer him a contract... For example Bayern had Lewandowski, who is not young either, but they quietly let him go, although he was lucky to get into Barca...

What Harry Kane lacks is because he doesn't defend big clubs like Benzema and Mbappe, I exclude Messi and Ronaldo because these two players have above average quality. Harry Kane has consistently scored goals in the last few Premier League seasons, last season he successfully scored 30 goals for Tottenham in the premier league, this number is far greater than Benzema 18 goals in La Liga and Mbappe 29 goals in Ligue 1.

From a technical point of view, he is very good at playing in the Striker position, because he does not defend big clubs like Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG, so he is rarely highlighted like other strikers who defend bigger clubs. Kane physical strength is great, as a consistent goalscorer in the Premier League must have a strong physique.

He should never hesitate to move to a bigger club, at the moment Real Madrid is perfect for him (if this club wants to sign him) especially since Real Madrid have just lost Karim Benzema, Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard. After losing several players who were positioned on the front lines, Real Madrid only left Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Joselu who had just been brought in on loan.
Harry Kane must have the courage to say "no" to Tottenham who seem to lock him up at all costs, he can win several trophies if he moves to a bigger club.

You're probably right, Kane has only played in the EPL, which is much tougher than the rest of the European leagues... But for some reason he has never been a star player and not much is said about him... If Real are interested in him, maybe Kane can show his worth at the end of his career... But probably at the age of 30 it will be difficult to do so, although Modric is playing better than many young players...

[Unknown Op]

~~snip~~

Apart from what you mentioned that doesn't match the tactics at Bayern Munich. That's because Sadio Mane was forced to replace Lewa, even though the two players have different playing styles and positions. For me, there was a mistake at Bayer Munchen's technical director. If they wanted to replace Lewa, why did they bring in Sadio Mane, who is clearly very different from Lewa.
The problem experienced by Sadio Mane at Bayern Munich reminds me of several players who left Liverpool but found it difficult to adapt to a new club. This didn't just happen to Sadio Mane. Because it's very rare for a Liverpool player to leave, let alone leave Liverpool with a problem that will shine at his new club, but not all. But most of them didn't shine, like Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Torres, Wilnajdum, dudek and others.

I agree with you. Sadio Mane was forced to replace Lewa. Both Lewa and Mane play completely different styles. This was the big mistake of the Bayern Munich management. And this is why Bayern Munich's performance last season was poor and erratic

Bayern Munich management may have realized their mistake. There are rumours that Bayern Munich is interested in Harry Kane. And I think Harry Kane can be a worthy replacement for Lewa. The style of play of these two players is almost the same. And both are capable of scoring plenty of goals.

The different match strategies used by Liverpool and Bayern Munich do make Sadio Mane transition to the German squad difficult. Mane success at Liverpool can be linked to his mastery of their unique tactical system which may not be perfectly compatible with Bayern brand of play. While it is true that Mane has a modest goal scoring history his contributions go far beyond goal totals. His quickness dribbling skills and teamwork have been crucial to Liverpool overall success and stability. Therefore it would be dishonest to evaluate Mane purely on the quantity of goals he scores. Instead of only counting on Mane to score lots of goals Bayern Munich should recognise his diverse skill set and consider how he might improve the team performance as a whole.

[kamvreto]

You're probably right, Kane has only played in the EPL, which is much tougher than the rest of the European leagues... But for some reason he has never been a star player and not much is said about him... If Real are interested in him, maybe Kane can show his worth at the end of his career... But probably at the age of 30 it will be difficult to do so, although Modric is playing better than many young players...

Rather than speculating about Real Madrid's interest, it seems Harry Kane is more interested in the Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich.
In the summer of 2024, Harry Kane will be on a free transfer and As a Hotspur coach, Daniel Levy will not release Harry Kane to the Premier League, he wants Kane to play in other leagues such as the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich have also set their main target on Harry Kane this summer.

[$anounimus$]

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

There have been numerous speculations surrounding Harry Kane's future in recent media reports. Manchester United has shown interest in Kane, but they have stated that if he truly desires a move, he must submit a transfer request to them. On the other hand, the owners of Tottenham seem reluctant to let Kane go to United and believe it would be better for him to join Madrid or Munchen. In my opinion, Kane would be better off joining Munich if he wants regular playing time and the complete trust of the coach. In Madrid, there is a possibility that Kane could become a backup if he fails to demonstrate his best performance in the initial stages. Another significant factor for Kane is that if he moves to Madrid or Munchen, his chances of winning the Champions League title are slightly higher than at Manchester United.

Staying at Tottenham would be futile for Kane as he has never tasted championship success there. With the quality and number of goals he has achieved, I believe it would be best for him to depart from Tottenham.

Yes, now Kane is a point of attention in the transfer market. At present various speculations continue to emerge related to their future. But in my opinion it is time for Kane to immediately leave Tottenham to look for new challenges while feeling the title before retiring from football. Currently it is a fixed time for Kane because at this time he is still able to look mighty. I am sure wherever he will be anchored he will definitely be the mainstay on the front lines.

Manchester United seems to be very interested in Kane and I think the typical of the Spurs striker is very suitable for the style of play at United. If you succeed in getting Kane, the Red Devils will be better prepared to challenge the title from Manchester City. But of course it is not enough for Ten Hag if only Kane is recruited, but he also has to strengthen the back line that also does not yet look completely tough.

However, even though Kane hasn't decided on his future, I hope he will continue to have a career at EPL and it seems that Manchester United is a team that is worthy of considering.

[BALIK]

Harry Kane is the best scorer at Spurs, but probably not the best or even one of the best in the world... Even if he is captain of the England team his results are still not as good as for example Ronaldo or Benzema, Mbappe, Messi and other star players... Yes, he will be 30 next year and I don't think the top clubs will offer him a contract... For example Bayern had Lewandowski, who is not young either, but they quietly let him go, although he was lucky to get into Barca...

What Harry Kane lacks is because he doesn't defend big clubs like Benzema and Mbappe, I exclude Messi and Ronaldo because these two players have above average quality. Harry Kane has consistently scored goals in the last few Premier League seasons, last season he successfully scored 30 goals for Tottenham in the premier league, this number is far greater than Benzema 18 goals in La Liga and Mbappe 29 goals in Ligue 1.
From a technical point of view, he is very good at playing in the Striker position, because he does not defend big clubs like Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG, so he is rarely highlighted like other strikers who defend bigger clubs. Kane physical strength is great, as a consistent goalscorer in the Premier League must have a strong physique.
He should never hesitate to move to a bigger club, at the moment Real Madrid is perfect for him (if this club wants to sign him) especially since Real Madrid have just lost Karim Benzema, Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard. After losing several players who were positioned on the front lines, Real Madrid only left Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Joselu who had just been brought in on loan.
Harry Kane must have the courage to say "no" to Tottenham who seem to lock him up at all costs, he can win several trophies if he moves to a bigger club.

You're probably right, Kane has only played in the EPL, which is much tougher than the rest of the European leagues... But for some reason he has never been a star player and not much is said about him... If Real are interested in him, maybe Kane can show his worth at the end of his career... But probably at the age of 30 it will be difficult to do so, although Modric is playing better than many young players...

Giant clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are interested in signing Harry Kane. Because Harry Kane is a very good player. And his fitness is very good. He does not face many injuries. He is also capable of scoring a lot of goals. If Kane wants to win the title then he should definitely leave Tottenham and join a bigger club. However, we don't know if Kane is ready to leave Tottenham yet. But I think he might be willing to play with a bigger team now.

[Falconer]

Harry Kane is a good player, all he needs currently is a chance to work with a trophy winning side, and it that be Manchester United? For a player that scores more than, thirty goals a single single and having Bruno Fernandez behind, United are sure kf winning the tittle.

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

Manchester United are expected to be in tough competition for the Premier League title next season after they showed an upturn in form last season. Maybe it's not just a matter of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle will also compete besides Manchester City. Kane would be a sensational addition to Manchester United, but Tottenham are reluctant to let him go for a relatively lower price.

I also agree that Manchester City are still unstoppable in terms of form. They are Premier League title winners 3 times in a row in the last 3 seasons, so it is really difficult to expect them to drop when their performance is very stable compared to the other 19 teams. We don't know next season, but Manchester City will start the race on pole position.

[salad daging]

Manchester United are expected to be in tough competition for the Premier League title next season after they showed an upturn in form last season. Maybe it's not just a matter of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle will also compete besides Manchester City. Kane would be a sensational addition to Manchester United, but Tottenham are reluctant to let him go for a relatively lower price.

I also agree that Manchester City are still unstoppable in terms of form. They are Premier League title winners 3 times in a row in the last 3 seasons, so it is really difficult to expect them to drop when their performance is very stable compared to the other 19 teams. We don't know next season, but Manchester City will start the race on pole position.

But if Harry Kane moves to Manchester United then that will increase his performance on the front lines, so Erik Ten Hag will have more freedom to organize attacks if they have an established striker like Harry Kane, the issue of Premier League competition will of course be even more fierce/tighter with teams that mentioned that they also don't want to be left behind in the upcoming Premier League title race.

Regarding Manchester City, there is no doubt that they have the stability of strong players, coupled with the strategic composition of Pep Guardiola, who is quite astute, so that is what Manchester City can still be the defending champions, so now there is no doubt that the strongest candidate next season may also be going to Manchester City again.

[Litzki1990]

Harry Kane is a good player, all he needs currently is a chance to work with a trophy winning side, and it that be Manchester United? For a player that scores more than, thirty goals a single single and having Bruno Fernandez behind, United are sure kf winning the tittle.

Harry Kane will obviously improve Manchester United if he moved over there, but it does not mean they will surely win the EPL, i don't think Manchester United as a team can win the EPL next season, they still need at least another season with Erik ten Hag before they'll think of winning the title.

Look at Arsenal, they thought they were on their way to the EPL title last season, but in the most important part of the season, City showed them why they have more experience to handle the pressure of the last few weeks of the season. Right now City are just unstoppable in the Premier League and i can't see any team usurping them.

Manchester United came very close to the title this season. Manchester United finished the 2022-23 season at number three in the English Premier League points table.

Under Erik ten Hag, the English club has gone from one position to another. Manchester United is planning to win the English Premier League title next season. There are some rumors about Harry Kane to implement their plans. But I'm still confused because I still don't understand which star Manchester United will finally sign.  

Neymar and Harry Kane are among Manchester United's favorites. If any of these two stars sign a contract with Manchester United, Manchester United's chances of winning the league title next season will increase a lot.

[snipie]

Neymar and Harry Kane are among Manchester United's favorites. If any of these two stars sign a contract with Manchester United, Manchester United's chances of winning the league title next season will increase a lot.

Maguire in the defence line and Neymar in the attack line will make Manchester United fans crazy
Harry Kane is far better than Neymar in my opinion in many aspects, better to chase him tho..
Manchester United have many plans to bring players but there isn't any move done yet as far as I am aware of.

[LGD2Business]

Now Chelsea have sold players to the Arab league. Al Hilal gave Chelsea 23 million Euro for Kalidou Koulibaly. Chelsea didn't consider this player in the squad, they made really good money. Koulibaly played very well in Napoli and transferred to Chelsea. However, he couldn't find the opportunities he wanted in the Premier League. Now at the age of 32, he will earn a good amount of money by going to the Arab league. Although it's sad to go from the best league in the world to the Arab league, the money is sweet.

[klidex]

Now Chelsea have sold players to the Arab league. Al Hilal gave Chelsea 23 million Euro for Kalidou Koulibaly. Chelsea didn't consider this player in the squad, they made really good money. Koulibaly played very well in Napoli and transferred to Chelsea. However, he couldn't find the opportunities he wanted in the Premier League. Now at the age of 32, he will earn a good amount of money by going to the Arab league. Although it's sad to go from the best league in the world to the Arab league, the money is sweet.

Actually, it's not a matter of money, but Kalidou Koulibaly needs a comfortable place with lots of money after he retires.
For another story, Chelsea sold Kalidou Koulibaly because now Chelsea wants to improve their finances and take talented players to buy from the transfer market and strengthen Chelsea's performance next season to prove Chelsea will bounce back.

[omgitsmehehe]

Now Chelsea have sold players to the Arab league. Al Hilal gave Chelsea 23 million Euro for Kalidou Koulibaly. Chelsea didn't consider this player in the squad, they made really good money. Koulibaly played very well in Napoli and transferred to Chelsea. However, he couldn't find the opportunities he wanted in the Premier League. Now at the age of 32, he will earn a good amount of money by going to the Arab league. Although it's sad to go from the best league in the world to the Arab league, the money is sweet.

Saudi Arabia coming for almost all the crucial Chelsea players, it's not a good development for the blues losing half of their squad to the transfer window. The owner really need to fixed things right for the club, because if they continue like, alot of things will blow out of proper. Koulidou Koulibaly is one of the tough defenders in his first season at Stamford Bridge, but things do change and Senegalese turned out to be flop, not meeting up the team's expectations due to the longterm injuries he had. Injuries are primarily the number one barrier that has hinder most of our players from performing at top level.