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France boss Didier Deschamps has called Paul Pogba the "heart and soul" of his team's Euro 2016 first-half performance against Switzerland and said he needs the Juventus star at top level as the competition progresses. The 23-year-old Pogba was omnipresent in the opening half of Le Bleus' 0-0 draw against the Swiss, but saw his influence wane after the break. Speaking after the match, Dechamps, whose side qualified as Group A leaders with the result, said: "Paul was the life-force of the first half, the heart and soul. "He didn't get forward as much in the second half but he has huge potential and I have a lot of confidence in him. We had three games in nine days, which is why I put in some fresh legs. But we need Paul Pogba at a top level. "This [result] suited us to get top spot but we had four chances, had we been more clinical we'd have scored. They were better on the ball at times but didn't threaten much. Clearly there are things to improve upon but I've seen almost every match and apart form two or three all sides have had tricky games. "You can always criticise people, the players are aware we can improve in a number of areas. When the goalkeeper is man of the match it shows we had chances. We kept a clean sheet, which is good, but this was a crucial match to finish top so I decided not to change the back six because they play like clockwork. "There are expectations and those are significant. This is not a friendly match, it felt a lot more important than a third group game as soon as we left the hotel. We need to be able to let go more in matches, even though we didn't have to push too much tonight." Deschamps surpised many with the inclusion of Moussa Sissoko and Yohan Cabaye in midfield against Switzerland. The duo played well in place of N'Golo Kante and Blaise Matuidi, providing Pogba ample support in the centre of the pitch. "I started him tonight -- I didn't say 'here's a gift, go and play,'" Deschamps said of Sissoko. "I know what he's capable of, he always does it for us. "He contributed a lot, he was excellent at the World Cup, too. Yohan Cabaye also played a good game, which is good. I've got some other players who haven't played who are no doubt disappointed. But once I stressed that the match is crucial, I rotated a little bit but tried to make sure the team was at the same level."
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