We have to strike a balance
Agree. But just what measurement of balance? Presumably you are talking about a balance between automatic pilot competency and pure flying skill competency. Surely a captain or copilot pilot licensed to fly a type of aircraft should have 100 percent competency on both skills. In your dreams is the reply from one cynic. If this is too optimistic then let's barter a little. Are you suggesting equal competency? Or is the balance 10 percent towards manual competency and 90 percent automatics competency?
Practice makes perfect and if the company policy is to stay on automatics from lift off to near touch down, then that only leaves the flight simulator for honing manual flying skills. Where simulator time is dictated by costs and company policy requires full use of automatics in the simulator, this leaves only a few minutes of effective time per session for the pilot to practice manually.
For example, there are many operators who regard simulator practice at unusual attitude recoveries in IMC as a total waste of time. Often the instructor hasn't got a clue how to instruct on these manoeuvres anyway. Which is one reason why there has been an increase in loss of control in IMC accidents in recent years.
Until authorities bite the bullet and insist more emphasis be placed on pure flying skills versus automatic pilot monitoring skills, the current trend towards loss of control in IMC will not reverse.