Stoke City: Ryan Shawcross has eased pressure on Jon Walters ahead of Burnley and Plymouth Argyle | OneFootball

The Potters are looking for their third permanent manager of the season, but may have been given more time based off of Sunderland result.

Stoke City picked up a shock 1-0 win over promotion-chasing Sunderland on the final matchday of 2024 on Sunday, with Tom Cannon's 92nd minute strike handing his team just their sixth win of the season.

It was a result that extended the Potters' gap above the relegation zone to five points, just days after Narcis Pelach was sacked, only three months into his tenure at the bet365 Stadium.

The 2024/25 campaign has been an incredibly difficult one for the Staffordshire side, but with Ryan Shawcross at the helm on an interim basis, they showed excellent fight and desire to beat one of the Championship's top four sides.

It's a result that will help ease some of the pressure that has mounted on Stoke's technical director, Jonathan Walters, and it may just give him even more time to find a permanent replacement for Pelach.

Shawcross could lead Stoke against Burnley and Plymouth Argyle

Games are coming thick and fast in the EFL at the moment, and with four matches in the space of nine days from 26 December to 4 January, there is not much time for clubs to make minor changes, let alone ones that involve new managers coming in as the previous one exits.

It's a factor that is currently playing against the Potters, with there only being a three-day gap between their win over Sunderland and their trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley on New Year's Day.

Stoke will be wanting to find a more permanent resolution to their current managerial problems, but Shawcross has proven against the Black Cats that he has more than enough nous to take the team forward against both the Clarets and Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

This will relieve some of the pressure on Walters to bring in a new manager quickly, and more consideration will be able to be taken to help give the club the best possible chance at pushing themselves away from the relegation battle and ending the season in a more positive manner.

Not much will be expected from the clash with Burnley, and it will be seen as a free hit, especially after the win over Sunderland. However, a positive result at Turf Moor and a win against Plymouth will give Stoke's next boss the perfect platform to build from.

Shawcross may just put his own name into the hat

It was clear that the Potters had taken the wrong direction with Pelach, and there will be a desire to right some of the wrongs that were made earlier in the campaign when he was brought in to replace the departing Steven Schumacher.

Plenty of names will be thrown about in the coming days and weeks, but Shawcross himself might be in contention after a strong showing at the bet365 Stadium on Sunday.

The 37-year-old has a clear passion for the club, and this will fit in well with supporters. He is a fan favourite after making over 450 appearances for Stoke as a player.

He is currently completing his coaching badges, and is in charge of the Staffordshire outfit's Under-21s side, and while this opportunity may come a little early in his managerial career, Shawcross is doing no harm to his own chances of taking charge of the Potters at some point in the future.

That's the future and, for now, he's providing Walters with the cushion he needs to make sure he finds the right successor to Pelach.