"Do some pilot stuff", wonderful, I like it. It's what the pax expect us to be; the insurance policy that saves the day when the fridge catches fire and the toilet starts to leak.
There is no doubt that at the end of a long working day, possibly with not a full nights sleep, using the automatics to bring the a/c to 1000' stable on finals is the way to go. It is also more often the case that a/c arrive onto finals via radar control. You are told altitude, speed & HDG. It is easier to dial the number into MCP. However, and sadly not so common anymore, it is wonderful to have open skies, the runway in sight from 30nm out, switch it all off and have a silent raw data relaxed arrival via a CDA to a smooth touchdown. Very satisfying and totally gob stopping for the cadet whose only manually handle was during base training.
I do not have any problem with full use of the automatics. The problem I have is with the philosophy & culture that has replaced the basic handling skills with full use of automatics, so that when the automatics fail or malfunction there is a nervous fall back rather than a confident one. The automatics must supplement the basics not replace them. Modern guys always try to solve problems in the automatics by selecting further modes of automatics, when the best manner might be to disconnect and sort it out with some analysis.
The video 'Children of the Magenta Line' states this wonderfully. Select the level of automation that is best for the moment, and that could zero. The problem is that for some zero is both heresy & terrifying.