I think what started this discussion is the fact that what pilots lack today is neither the "basic stick and rudder" nor the "pitch and power" knowledge. What they totally lack is the ability to fully understand their automated machines and how they (if if the automation pretends to fail) still interfere with the pilot using basic flying skills. Flying an aicraft with failed or malfunctioning systems is different from flying a basic, fully mechanical aircraft.
Pilot training still includes the basic stick and rudder training (we may argue how much of that is required), probably most pilots still fly pitch and power during their basic training. What pilots are not trained for are all possible combination of automation failure (or worst: malfunction) they might have to cope with and tu fully understand how the machines systems will react to his attempt to "basically" fly the aircraft.
We need basic stick and rudder training AND full understanding of all aircraft automated systems and how they could fail and interfere with the pilot.