Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson has praised the blend of talent in the squad ahead of this weekend's Premier League encounter with Norwich City.

The Magpies are currently in ninth place in the table following consecutive wins over Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Williamson has credited the team's improved form to manager Alan Pardew finding a starting XI with the right balance.

"The gaffer's been searching for a mix that would give us some consistency in performance and now the team is working really well together," BBC Sport quotes him as saying.

"Keeping clean sheets against Chelsea and Spurs shows he has found the right balance to keep it tight.

"It's a great platform because we know with the quality we have in attack, we'll score goals."

Newcastle welcome Norwich to St James' Park on Saturday.