I agree that the first reaction usually is only about what one is used to. I have seen this many times. Still, of course, not all syntax is equally good.
For example, the problem with Vec<Vec<T>> for a 2D array is not that one is not used to it, but that the syntax is just badly designed. Not that C would not have problematic syntax, but I still think it is fairly good in comparison.
C has one massive advantage over many other languages: it is just a slight level above assembler and it is just about as minimal as a language can be. It doesn't force you into an eco-system, plays nice with lots of other tools and languages and gets out of the way. 'modern' languages, such as Java, Rust, Python, Javascript (Node) and so on all require you to buy in to the whole menu, they're not 'just a language' (even if some of them started out like that).
Not forcing you into an eco-system is what makes C special, unique and powerful, and this aspect is not well understood by most critics. Stephen Kell wrote a great essay about it.