I have little experience with servers, but... I must agree with your sentiment. One of the great things about Linux is how simple things are. GUIs are great, but not if I have to start a desktop just to get a network connection!
It's this kind of complaint that suggests all the unease is a result from resistance to learning new systems, rather than any actual flaw in those systems. NetworkManager operates headlessly, and can be manipulated just fine with nmcli.
