Empoli 1-1 Lazio: return of the unlucky draw

I'm back from a week of stewing about Lazio's draw with Empoli and otherwise being generally busy. I figure I have to lay this one to rest before moving on to this weekend's match against Udinese at the Olimpico. So, just a quick summary:

The Good
1. Pandev scored! Goran finally got his first goal of the season in the 10th match. Maybe he's finally breaking out of his slump.
2. Lazio scored in the first half! Believe it or not, this was the first time the biancocelesti scored before the 46th minute this year. If it seems like Lazio has always been fighting from behind, this is why.

The Bad
1. MORE RED CARDS. Honestly, this has to stop. It's obvious that there is lots of frustration running through the team, and it needs to be dealt with. This is the responsibility of Delio Rossi as coach and Massimo Oddo as captain. Their men need to be in line.
2. The miraculous tying goal. It's hard to fault anyone for this. A lot of credit has to be given to Empoli's Ighli Vannucchi for making a brilliant strike.


It's just that it reminds me far, far too much of the scene after last spring's unlucky draw with Empoli.

The Interesting/Mostly Indifferent
Holy crap, the 4-3-1-2 actually worked. It was very surprising to hear that Delio Rossi would depart from his beloved 4-4-2, but the fact that he made the decision early in the week and devoted the club to it paid off. The formation was effective on both ends of the field and has given Lazio an additional weapon in its tactical arsenal. Not that I don't expect the 4-4-2 to come back as soon as the whole squad is healthy.