Manchester United walked out to faceLiverpool with a mood of insurrection and undisguised pessimism, and then walked off to noisy applause.
The pre-game parade of new signing Casemiro was accompanied by a soundtrack of open discontent aimed at the Americans, as United's supporters marched in protest against the ownership of the Glazers before kick-off.
The manager got what he wanted for his first victory when he ordered his players to take their anger out on the other team.
The fans of United loved every second of it after the misery of recent times.
It was necessary for Ten Hag and United to lift the mood of crisis and unrest around Manchester United.
The memories of last season's humiliation at the hands of the Reds were not just about United's poor start to the season.
Jadon Sancho's perfect piece of composure was the result of the early pressure as United tore into the Reds from the start.
In the first 10 minutes of the match, United showed more passion and intent than they did in the two league matches against the Reds last season.
The biggest winner was Ten Hag, whose stock will rise with the way in which he made the big, brave calls and also produced a tactical game plan that worked to perfection.
Ten Hag had to do something after he saw what happened at the Bees. If it went wrong, he knew he'd face scrutiny.
The United produced a performance of intensity, defensive solidity and bravery after he dropped captain Harry Maguire and star player CristianoRonaldo. It was gratifying to be vindicated.
After he was left out of the biggest game of the season, his position as captain is in question. They looked a lot more secure without him.
Raphael Varane was powerful aerially while Lisandro Martinez showed a fierce competitive spirit.
With United running down the clock,Ronaldo only appeared when the Reds were about to get a point.
Ten Hag went with the pace of Marcus Rashford, who showed great composure to score United's second goal, along with Anthony Elanga, later replaced by Anthony Martial, to attack and exploit the high defensive line that has become vulnerable.
The results were clear to see as the Reds were run ragged at the back, with Van Dijk's poor early-season form exposed again.
Ten Hag got it all right, and now United have shown what they can do without their two best players.
This isn't great news for England's World Cup chances, but neither of these issues are Ten Hag's concern and should not be.
The most remarkable switch in emotions was caused by it all. This was a performance that the fans could relate to from the beginning.
One of the big questions was if United could bounce back from their recent losses. This was a strong reply.
This was another chastening night for the Reds, who have had a poor start to the season.
They have mounting injury problems and the stupidity of Darwin Nunez's red card against Crystal Palace was brought into even sharper relief as they didn't even have the chance to exploit the lack of height of the player.
The decision to leave Fabinho on the bench was incomprehensible, especially when Jordan Henderson and James Milner were off the pace from the start.
It's fair to say that their performances so far are not up to par. They didn't deserve anything more. When set against previous sky-high standards, they have not been up to par.
They can celebrate a victory against a team that destroyed them twice last year. They are in front of them in the league table.
This was a great night for Manchester United and their new manager.
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