But do/did you find it much easier operating a 737NG/A320 compared to your B737-2?
I suppose anything is "easy" when you know how!
But I think the difference is that if you've been brought up on basic jets with round dials, a
very basic autopilot and flight director, no auto throttle, no FMC etc over many years you become "hard wired" to confidently hand fly the machine through all flight regimes. You might be a bit rusty but you know you can do it.
Through no fault of their own we now have a generation of pilots who are not that confident about hand flying. This is a conundrum the industry has yet to solve.
And btw that does not mean I am luddite - I think automation is a useful tool to assist safe operation but it's the pilots that should be "running the show".