Sonicbum: I agree. I was once told by a trainer that the strength of following SOP's was a defence if it went wrong. Sad times, but perhaps true. In older days the responsibility of the crew, and expected by my CP, was to do the best appropriate to the situation. Crew discretion to use airmanship. That attitude is not trained nor encouraged. And then.....you end up in a situation not forecast by the SOP guru's and the crew freeze or worse, panic. The management & investigators wonder why they didn't use airmanship; and then blame pilot error. Oh dear.
You can't expect a captain of 4 years on line to have the experience of a 7 year F/O pilot. You can't expect a 1-2 year cadet to have the experience of a 4 year F/O pilot. Now you combine the two??? and add in a non-QRH subtle malfunction, or even severe weather. Is there a crew or the blind leading the blind?