Jol furious with Spurs performance
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Tottenham were stunned 3-1 by Reading at Madejski stadium.
Spurs took the lead through Robbie Keane's 24th-minute penalty but the hosts were ahead by half-time through Nicky Shorey's powerful drive and a close-range finish from the impressive Steve Sidwell.
It was fitting reward for Sidwell, a former Arsenal trainee, who showed his tenacity in midfield throughout as he looked to end Reading's run of five straight defeats.
The 3-1 victory was capped off when Kevin Doyle chased a long kick and finished past Paul Robinson to the delight of most of the record 24,110 crowd.
"At half-time we wanted to put it right but you need personality and character," Spurs boss Martin Jol said.
He added: "It's frustrating, you get angry a bit as well because you can do all the hard work and prepare yourself well.
"If we would have had a good result today everything would be fine - last eight of the Carling Cup, in the UEFA Cup and probably seventh in the league. And you throw it away."
Spurs won away at Reading in a pre-season match before the start of last season but Steve Coppell's men then held an impressive home record until the recent visits of Chelsea and Arsenal.
Jol added: "All credit to them because apart from Arsenal not many teams have won here in the last 12 or more months. But if you make those sort of mistakes you can't win any game.
"So it is good to be back to earth with our feet on the ground and be the team we were before when we had a run of 10 games."
Extending their unbeaten run looked likely when Keane sent Marcus Hahnemann the wrong way from the penalty spot after Ibrahima Sonko had tripped Hossam Ghaly.
"We did okay for the first part of the match, we did everything we had to do - attacked them in the spaces and had a couple of chances and the penalty," Jol said. "After that a couple of players did the wrong things."
Shorey levelled after 38 minutes when Glen Little fed him the ball 25 yards out and the full-back found the bottom corner with a powerful drive.
"We left him and there is normally someone on him," Jol said.
Sidwell levelled when he met Little's corner and bundled home from close range in stoppage time of the first half, with Jol adding: "(Dimitar) Berbatov is in the zone and he left the ball."
Doyle added a third when he chased a Hahnemann kick and finished past Robinson, taking newly-promoted Reading above Spurs in the Premiership table.
However, Coppell said: "It's all about where we finish at the end, that's the be-all and end-all of our season.
"I don't want to highlight of our year to be September, October, November.
"The bottom line remains that if we retain our status in this decision, it will be a far better achievement than gaining promotion last season."
Coppell is pleased with the style of Reading's performances as they look to stay in the top flight.
He added: "That's our way, even if the club doesn't have a huge history in the top flight. There's a Tottenham way of playing, an Arsenal way and a Liverpool way - in our own reserved style there is a Reading style.
"When you're under pressure it's easy to be physical and more direct but we have to resist that to a certain extent."
Spurs took the lead through Robbie Keane's 24th-minute penalty but the hosts were ahead by half-time through Nicky Shorey's powerful drive and a close-range finish from the impressive Steve Sidwell.
It was fitting reward for Sidwell, a former Arsenal trainee, who showed his tenacity in midfield throughout as he looked to end Reading's run of five straight defeats.
The 3-1 victory was capped off when Kevin Doyle chased a long kick and finished past Paul Robinson to the delight of most of the record 24,110 crowd.
"At half-time we wanted to put it right but you need personality and character," Spurs boss Martin Jol said.
He added: "It's frustrating, you get angry a bit as well because you can do all the hard work and prepare yourself well.
"If we would have had a good result today everything would be fine - last eight of the Carling Cup, in the UEFA Cup and probably seventh in the league. And you throw it away."
Spurs won away at Reading in a pre-season match before the start of last season but Steve Coppell's men then held an impressive home record until the recent visits of Chelsea and Arsenal.
Jol added: "All credit to them because apart from Arsenal not many teams have won here in the last 12 or more months. But if you make those sort of mistakes you can't win any game.
"So it is good to be back to earth with our feet on the ground and be the team we were before when we had a run of 10 games."
Extending their unbeaten run looked likely when Keane sent Marcus Hahnemann the wrong way from the penalty spot after Ibrahima Sonko had tripped Hossam Ghaly.
"We did okay for the first part of the match, we did everything we had to do - attacked them in the spaces and had a couple of chances and the penalty," Jol said. "After that a couple of players did the wrong things."
Shorey levelled after 38 minutes when Glen Little fed him the ball 25 yards out and the full-back found the bottom corner with a powerful drive.
"We left him and there is normally someone on him," Jol said.
Sidwell levelled when he met Little's corner and bundled home from close range in stoppage time of the first half, with Jol adding: "(Dimitar) Berbatov is in the zone and he left the ball."
Doyle added a third when he chased a Hahnemann kick and finished past Robinson, taking newly-promoted Reading above Spurs in the Premiership table.
However, Coppell said: "It's all about where we finish at the end, that's the be-all and end-all of our season.
"I don't want to highlight of our year to be September, October, November.
"The bottom line remains that if we retain our status in this decision, it will be a far better achievement than gaining promotion last season."
Coppell is pleased with the style of Reading's performances as they look to stay in the top flight.
He added: "That's our way, even if the club doesn't have a huge history in the top flight. There's a Tottenham way of playing, an Arsenal way and a Liverpool way - in our own reserved style there is a Reading style.
"When you're under pressure it's easy to be physical and more direct but we have to resist that to a certain extent."
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