Bloggsy that alpha floor thingamejigg is a line of last defense and if you have let it get to that point you have generally lost all SA. IMHO the F/O did not have the muscle memory of how much thrust to add to increase the speed and just moved the thrust levers "a bit". The other problem as I see it is that a lot of Airbus pilot's use the thrust levers as an arm rest when it is in auto mode or don't even bother to guard the thrust levers at all.
But, isn't that a serious indictment on those responsible for type rating training - especially on the proliferation of low hour "cadets" going directly into the second in command positions of responsibility?
Yes it is, from the manufacturer's to the flight ops departments of the world's airlines but unfortunately it is the aviation world we currently inhabit. Any manual skill will atrophy if not practised so when pracitising the skills after not using them for a while do one thing at a time. Start with a manual ILS but A/T on. When you are consistent with that then try it without the FDs. Then try it with manual thrust but F/D's on. Just because we once possessed those skills doesn't mean they will magically reappear if they haven't been used for a while.