If you can't beat them, sign them. In adding Joe Rothwell on deadline day, Sheffield United have upped their game in what is becoming one of football’s most important elements this season.

Even before he joined, the Blades were the best team at corners in this season's Championship according to WhoScored.com, who reckon they put more accurate corners in than any other team in the division.

They have lost one of their main takers, Sam McCallum, to injury for eight to 10 weeks, but gained one whose ability at dead balls they are all too familiar with.

The same website ranked Rothwell the joint second-most accurate corner-taker on loan at Leeds United in last season's Championship. In both games against Sheffield United, the Whites took the lead from Rothwell corners – headed in by Pascal Struijk at Elland Road and on by him for Ao Tanaka at Bramall Lane.

The Blades' only permanent signing of the winter transfer window when he joined from Rangers made four goals last season, three for centre-back Struijk.

And with Arsenal setting the trends, corners have become increasingly important this season.

"It's always been important for us," insists Blades manager Chris Wilder. "From a stats point of view, we're pretty much high up in the list of first contacts.

"There can be as much detail in the runs and the times, where you want to place people and how you want to go about that but 10 times out of 10 if the delivery isn't in the right place, you're not going to get the outcome that you're after.