As is traditional when little is at stake, this end-of-season game was more about reflecting on the season than concentrating on the actual football being played. So, in summary, we played a lot of the youngsters, Walcott continued his resurrection by scoring a simple goal, and we held on comfortably against a mediocre but honest Sunderland side, to come third in the League a mere four points behind the winners. Now I've gotten that over with, I can move onto the good stuff.

It's impossible not to feel a little disappointment at the way things panned out, but didn't we secretly feel that when we were playing well this season, we were punching above our weight? We didn't win the League for a simple reason, which is that we are capable of playing well, but when we are not playing well (the important bit), we don't have the leadership or spirit to turn it around.

A lot of Gooners are disappointed that the likes of Hleb and Flamini are going and gone, but personally I think they are replaceable enough. Flam is hard-working but surely not world-class, and Hleb shows signs of brilliant skill, but doesn't deliver much end-product. Most importantly, if they don't love the club enough to want to stay, then by definition they are not Arsenal men, and may as well move on.

It is all very well saying that the game is changing and we have to spend more money, but that is over-simplified. To win things, we need players like Adams and Vieira, true warriors. We should have known better about Gallas by the way that he acted when he was at Chelsea. Leadership and class values cannot be taught, and they certainly cannot be bought.

It is a shame that Senderos makes the odd mistake and gets slated by the ignorant, but in terms of attitude and commitment, he is definitely of the calibre we need, and I'd pick him before Gallas just because of this.

Too much of the squad falls into the category of "competent but without the extra 5% that you need to win trophies". There are only a few players over whose departure I would lose sleep, whereas if I think back to our Championship-winning sides, I'd have said that 95% of the players were irreplaceable.

It amazes me that more Gooners have not noticed this. I don't know if our standards are slipping, but we seem to afford hero-worship to some players at the drop of a hat. It's so common, especially at prawn-filled home games, to hear a ripple of applause for a player doing something merely average, like winning the ball in a tackle.

There's a lot of talk about spending money, but unless you find players with a special character, it's a pointless exercise. Winning is nothing to do with assembling a load of whinging, ungrateful primadonnas, which is what you get if spend money unwisely. The true greats are rare, some players come along once in a generation, and I hope that we can be patient and stick to the principles that have made this club great.

Finally, I'm emigrating soon. After many years following Arsenal home and away, I'm going to become one of those ex-pat Gooners, an armchair fan whose heart will travel several thousand miles across the planet every Saturday afternoon (excuse the poetic licence, let's pretend it's the good old days).

This really hit me in the last ten minutes of the game, when there was a loud, repeating chorus of "We love you Arsenal", that most basic of songs. I was so choked I could barely sing. Somehow, through all the disappointment of not winning the title, my supporting "career" had come full-circle.

At that moment, everything became free from the Sky Sports commercialism that is ruining the game, and it was purely about togetherness, class, and belief. Just a few thousand Gooners showing their appreciation and understanding.

The years flashed before my eyes, North Bank, Wrighty, Clock End, Wembley, Sulzeer, San Siro, Mickey, Stade de France, Charlie, Rocky, Ricey, Super Swede, White Hart Lane, Tony, Copenhagen, Nutty, Dicko, Old Trafford, Spunky, Paddy, Millennium Stadium, Manu, Tulip, The Professor, Tulip two, Bobby, Thierry, Georgie, Kolo, PR, CC, DR, JH, Lionel and Jimmy, and after the 270-mile drive back, I shed a tear as I suddenly realised what I was leaving behind. But I wouldn't change a thing because I know that I'm lucky.