Another reason Pilots of modern airliners are reluctant to practise manual flight is the data monitoring which sends a ping every time a company specified parameter is exceeded. This is especially prevalent in Asia where exceeding a parameter can result in a tea and bicky session followed by fines, demotion, loss of face and loss of a Job.
Being a good pilot that knows their limits through practice and past experience isn't important anymore. Being a cheap bum in the seat who can recite SOP's and push buttons is.