My feeling is the pilots were deceived initially by the autothrottle refusal to spool up the engines, due to the landing inhibits, and a very high standard of simulator training by which pilots are almost brainwashed to totally rely on the automatics as the correct thing.
Byron Bailey
That's why i suggest in such tight situations:
Don't go for modes, go for moves!
Move the levers and the yoke yourself, sort out the modes of automation later.