On this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, the dads review Saipan (2025), a dramatization of one of the most explosive moments in modern Irish football history.
In this episode
- Why this story still matters: Ireland’s 2002 World Cup buildup and the Keane/McCarthy fallout
- The core tension: perfectionist, win-first standards vs “get the job done” tournament pragmatism
- Camp preparation issues and why they became the flashpoint
- Club-vs-country politics in the background (including pressure dynamics around Manchester United)
- Performances: thoughts on the Roy Keane portrayal and Steve Coogan’s grounded McCarthy
- Whether the film feels fair to both sides or leans into dramatized caricature
- The wider football question: was Keane right in principle but wrong in approach?
Bad Dads consensus
- Story relevance: high
- Performance quality: strong, with mixed reactions on specific portrayal choices
- Historical accuracy: debated
- Rewatch value: good for football fans and sports-drama watchers
- Overall: **Strong recommend**
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