Probably at least 1000 posts on this forum dedicated to flaming riders chasing that 8th place instead of trying to win a stage, now Ayuso is getting torched for doing that exact thing.
Riders of what level?
Riders who have been begging to lead the Vuelta for two years?
Riders who say they want to be the best in the world?
Let's not confuse things. It's one thing to ask that of second-tier riders who aspire to finish ninth or tenth, and another thing to ask of a rider who was the third favorite for this Vuelta and who demands to be the GT leader for the general classification.
For a rider like that, it's a failure to get into Marco Frigo's group.
Marco Frigo will be required to fight for stages instead of finishing ninth without being on television; for Ayuso, it's a failure. Unless you don't see Ayuso as a GT contender and a candidate for the Big 6 anymore. For a Big 6 candidate, being a rival to Marco Frigo is a failure. The best have to be rivals of the best from the general classification.
If that's the opinion, then we assume Ayuso's level is far from sufficient to lead. We're putting him on the same level as Marco Frigo or riders like Einer Rubio, who finished top 10 in the Giro and was expected to forget about a discret GC and win a stage.
What Ayuso has done is the easy thing to do. Not being a rival to the best cyclists in the GC and become a rival to second level riders. It's easier to win a stage this way than in a head-to-head with Vingegaard and Ciccone.
It would be very easy for Pogacar, or Vingegaard, to win more stages if they were 20 minutes behind in the GC and not competing with the best. They could win against Marco Frigo in the breakaways, like Jay Vine. Even Jay Vine is being urged to join another team and fight for the GC, but not Ayuso. With that opinion, you're devaluing him, admitting that he's not one of the greats and doesn't have to have the urge to try to rival Vingegaard in this Vuelta, even if it's in a 2 vs 1 with Almeida.
When he doesn't want to work on a Tour for Pogacar or on this Vuelta for Almeida, he'll have to be reminded that he's a stage cyclist, inferior status to those who sacrifice for the GC.