The problem of manual flight is not with those young pilots just entering the line,
I am not so sure about that. Risking generalisation, but a study of relatively recent (last ten years) loss of control accidents have been on 737's or similar short haul types. In many of these the first officers were former 200 hour cadets with no previous experience apart from their first airliner. Most of that experience would have been on the autopilot.