I don't really think that the wage table is a good yardstick to measure a future United manager by. Getting players playing consistantly well, playing attractive football and at the same time getting results is what is important. When I go to Goodison, I am not sat thinking, "well these players get a good amount of points on the table in relation to their comparitively low wages", I'm thinking "For Christ's sake! You are a goal down with 15 minutes left and you've taken Hibbert off for Hietinger and left one up front and they are still hoofing it from defence!" A great manager would have sorted that by now.
Also, he has spent money. Not as much as us, Liverpool, or Villa, (and obviously the other two) but he's spent it. He has recouped much of it though, but his strategy for signing strikers seems to be reminiscent of that guy who traded up a paper clip for a house, but never really getting very far. They'll sign someone, who'll have a decent season, then he'll sign someone else. You'll think that they might make a good partnership, but then he'll only play them together a handful of times before the older one is shipped out, then the process begins again. Dynamic, attacking football is not what comes to mind whrn you think of Everton, but they should really be giving the likes of Spurs a run for their money. Instead, it's hit and hope hoofing while hoping that Tim Cahill can head one in from a corner.
They had a very good defence for about 6 months when he finally dropped Yobo and partnered Lescott and Jagielka in the middle. That meant he started to play Baines at left back, after he'd been sat on the bench since moving from Wigan.
He used to do well with Carsley in front of the back four, but when he left, instead of changing his system, he spent ages trying to mould other players (Neville, Fellaini, Jagielka at points during Carsley's last season) into the same style, meaning that their talents were wasted and they weren't contributing as much as they could have been.
Since Lescott went to City, they've been poor in defence. John Heitinga should have improved it, but again, he's been used as a Carsley type of player while Distan shows his age behind him.
Like I said before, Everton might not have a lot of cash for big purchases, but they have bought proven goalscorers plenty of times in recent years but they've not really been used properly.