I actually think the statements made here are not mutually exclusive. I am saying that autoflight systems, briefed properly and used properly, make a less commonly flown approach safer and also dramatically reduces the workload.
I do also agree that manual flying skills do need to be maintained but the last thing I would advocate if flying the approach which led to this disaster would be to manually fly it!
The world has changed and despite the dreadful avoidable accidents which still occur automation has and continues to make the flying of large airliners safer than ever before.
Loss of manual flying skills and basic competence are a completely different subject. I do wonder whether the pilots who displayed such monumental incompetence evident in so many recent tragic accidents could ever be trained to be safe and competent with or without using automation.