Whether the aircraft landed itself or was hand flown seems to me, as a PPL, to be missing the point.
What resulted in a happy outcome was first class decision making.
if the automatics can do a better job, then let them do it, it does not denigrate the skill of the PIC one iota, IMHO.
Listen to the ATC tapes, Sullenberger is decisive and clear - I take my hat off to his ability to analyse the situation and make the right calls.