Bolton Wanderers had three Premier League seasons in these nine, then six outside it. Against City they took one point in six league games: a 3–3 at home in December 2009. The other five were defeats. So the rebuild takes almost nothing from Bolton. What moves is the table around them. Their best rebuilt finish is tenth, in 2010/11; their worst is 17th of 19, a year later.
In 2009/10 that one point cancels the free place, the one every club below City gets. The 3–3 on 12 December comes off; the 2–0 defeat at City on 9 February takes nothing. 39 becomes 38, and Bolton are 14th either way, level on points with Wolves and nine clear of the drop.
2010/11
Four places, no points
Bolton lost 1–0 at City on 4 December and 2–0 at home on 22 May. Two defeats, so nothing comes off and all 46 points stay.
The free place lifts them one. The clubs that took points off City lose them and fall back past Bolton, and that does the rest. Tenth of 19, not 14th, level on points with Newcastle in ninth and 15 points off fourth. No club in the rebuilt 2010/11 table climbs further: four places, three of them beyond the free place, without a point gained.
2011/12
One point
Bolton were beaten 3–2 at home on 21 August and 2–0 at City in March, so they keep all 36 points. It is not enough in either table, and they finish 53 points behind the champions in the rebuilt one.
QPR finish on 37 either way, final-day defeat at the Etihad and all. Bolton, 18th for real, are 17th of 19 without City: the free place, one point from safety, and down. The rebuild moves them one place and changes nothing else.