It's understandable that an airport has to make profit where it can, the bemusement people feel at MAN is that within the span of a decade or so it's gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.
T2 and the Skywalk are great, T3 is pretty good too..., then we get check-in at the Station. OK no logistical argument against it, but it's just nasty and cheap and passengers take the p*^s out of it.
Agree about LHR T5, now that is a serious project....