For me I think vilas and Fusty Ferret have it nailed also.
Hand flying skills do need to be maintained but to suggest that this perceived lack of skill overall amongst todays crews, is contributing to many incidents and accidents is simply untrue - yes, quotable areas where this was a contributor are definitely possible but statistics don't suggest that safety is now being compromised by the levels of automation used daily by crews. Technology isn't as simple as it was during the days of the "war heros" and traffic density and airspace complexity is definitely different, to name just two.
The posts like that of FAStoat make me cringe - its not just Airmanship you display there - that is still called today - arrogance. The airline world is a business and not a playground whether we like it or not and the automation when used correctly and monitored and understood, can only be a huge benefit while working correctly. Manual skills in most I suspect will be adequate in the event of failure requiring its use, despite comments that state opposite. Not exemplary, adequate but safe.