If you’re looking for a job as a professional soccer coach, now is the right time to submit your CV. Not in the Christmas spirit, a number of high profile coaches lost their jobs over the past week, in what many club directors see as the last chance to put their teams back on track. Expect more layoffs in the next few weeks.

Firing the head coach in the middle of the season is a big gamble, as coaches need time to get used to the job. But when executed correctly, it can salvage a season. Last season, Internazionale and Liverpool had remarkable recoveries when the directors parachuted in Leonardo and Kenny Dalglish, respectively. So now, with Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid firing their coaches and other sackings imminent, the frantic search is on.

Choosing your coach is never an easy matter, but it is even more difficult at times when options are limited, such as the middle of the season. Most qualified candidates already have jobs, and if they are successful, there is little reason for them to leave. Fortunately for Enrique Cerezo, Nasser Ben Khelaifi, and other presidents, a handful of qualified coaches might be available.

One such rare bird is Carlo Ancelotti, the genial former AC Milan star, who enjoyed a more successful career on the bench than on the pitch. Having won the Champions League twice with AC Milan and a domestic double with Chelsea, he is definitely worth a look.

Ancelotti’s pragmatism and ability to adapt to new surroundings could make him successful at a team like Paris Saint-Germain, where defeats are not an option. Expect a well drilled and consistent team. His success is often built around a well organized defense, rather than a mesmerizing attack.

Another unemployed Champions League winner, Rafael Benitez, has been linked to the PSG post vacated by Antoine Kombouare. In the 2005 Champions League final, Benitez’s Liverpool side was down 3-0 at half time against AC Milan. In the second half, Liverpool did the impossible, and scored three goals to bring the game to penalties. A penalty shootout victory secured the title.

Benitez is no stranger to success at a high level, boasting two La Liga titles and a UEFA Cup victory. However, the English press is eager to point out his tactical deficiencies, exemplified by his bizarre use of Steven Gerrard. Though Gerrard is most comfortable playing behind the strikers, Benitez made him play on the right wing and as a defensive midfielder.

A less risky option would be Louis Van Gaal, who may wish to leave his delicate position at Ajax. Van Gaal accepted the directorship at Ajax, a team with whom he won three Eredivisie titles, as well as the Champions League and UEFA Cup, in the 1990s. However, the board hired him without telling Dutch legend and board member Johan Cruyff, and so Cruyff has sued to prevent Van Gaal from getting the job.

Like Ancelotti, Van Gaal produces tactically astute squads with defensive tendencies. When Van Gaal is in charge, everything is possible. Victories in the Champions League with Ajax and in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar were totally unexpected. Van Gaal can get the most out of meager resources and is one of the game’s toughest taskmasters.

One of Van Gaal’s most illustrious contemporaries is Marcelo Lippi, whose UEFA Champions League victory with Juventus and World Cup win with Italy in 2006 overshadows his disastrous performance at the 2010 World Cup.

At 63, Lippi brings decades of experience at the highest levels of soccer. But persuading him to come out of retirement would be another matter.

For teams seeking improvements in style, Bernd Schuster would be a good bet. When coaching in Spain, Schuster got Real Madrid to play an attractive attacking game. Real Madrid dominated the Spanish league and outplayed Barcelona twice. Schuster’s tenure at Real Madrid brought about a period of genuine dominance, a distant dream today.

Hiring Schuster brings about the inevitable discussion of whether an attractive, attacking style is preferable to a more cautious approach, like the one often used by Ancelotti and Van Gaal. But whatever the decision, club owners have nothing to fear. There are more than enough competent candidates available.