O'Farrell's tenure started well, with Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best playing well and the club, 10 points clear at one stage, losing just one of their first 14 league games. O'Farrell was named Manager of the Month for September and the club topped the table for the first time in three years in October. After being top of the league at Christmas, Best failed to attend training throughout January and United scored only three goals in their first eight games of the year, losing the first seven. O'Farrell's impersonal approach whereby every player had to schedule an appointment to see him, did not help morale. O'Farrell signed Martin Buchan for a club-record fee of £125,000, as well as Ian Storey-Moore, who scored in all of United's five league wins in the second half of the season. Once again, United ended the season in eighth place.