Lachlan Cameron has slammed claims that a lack of funding pushed Ian McCall to the Somerset exit door.
The Ayr chairman hit back in the wake of McCall walking out for bottom-of-the-league Partick Thistle.
And he insisted fans cannot expect Ayr to match the financial muscle of the Maryhill men.
He told the Ayrshire Post: “Anyone saying that doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
“I’m not sure what more people want from me.
“I’ve been very clear that I cannot continue to fund the club as I have in the past.
“The club has to be sustainable, it’s as simple as that.
“Would people rather we spent until we went upside down and no longer existed?”
McCall chose the lure of Thistle and a significantly increased budget – despite guiding Ayr to joint top of the Championship.
Cameron and his board now aim to have a successor in the door by October 21.
He said: “I’m not ruling out any type of candidate.
“We’ve been accused of going for the easy option in the past, which I think is totally unfair.
“Usually the only way is up when a new manager is coming in, so this will be a new situation for us.”
