Jol was upset by Tottenham's performance against Nottingham Forest and afterwards said his widemen were 'lacking brilliance' against a side he felt ought to have been 'opened up on the flanks'.
"Thimothee is the kind of player who people seem to love or hate. But I can't understand why they don't like him. He is a young player and the kind who lives on confidence," said Jol.
Reports after Sunday's game picked out Atouba for special criticism after some Tottenham supporters began jeering the 22-year-old.
"I don't like it when the crowd get on player's backs. Hopefully, it is the last time they do it," Jol added.