Rainboe,
Your comments regarding reliance on Auto-throttle is all too true.
I spent 16 years on an 'old' tech jet and have recently converted to the high tech type. Having spent over 10 years in the left seat of the old girl with no Auto-throttle and visual approaches everywhere, I now find after just 6 months on the new jet I'm so used to letting the A/C do it that when I do take out the A/P and A/T I'm working very hard indeed.
I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do more manual approaches.